With Chicago at a ‘crossroads,’ mayor creates budget task force to find sustainability

CHICAGO (WGN) — Mayor Brandon Johnson on Monday warned that Chicago was at a “crossroads” before signing an executive order establishing a group tasked with finding ways to improve the city’s financial picture.

The budget working group will try to solicit new ideas and provide recommendations aimed at streamlining operations, enhancing service delivery and finding potential revenue strategies.

“We have started our budget process earlier than ever before because the challenges that we face are greater than what we’ve experienced before. The truth is our city is truly at a crossroads right now,” Johnson said.

The latest city budget was narrowly adopted late last year.

The city is facing a more than $1 billion budget shortfall that could be exacerbated by the loss of $3 billion in federal funds. President Trump has vowed to withhold federal funding from sanctuary cities, a threat Johnson deemed last week as “terrorism.”

During negotiations last year, Johnson refused to consider a budget package that included furloughs or layoffs to city employees. The next budget battle may force his hand.

“We will have to deal with the realities of the billions of dollars that are being threatened by the federal government. That’s a different scenario than we were under before,” Johnson said Monday. “I am confident that the collective groups of the city of Chicago will stand firm in our values to ensure that we are investing in people, but we also have to make serious considerations based upon the Trump takeover.”

The order says the group is to release a preliminary report by the end of August.