Chicago council members clash on $1 billion budget gap
CHICAGO - Labor Day is over, and the glow from the Democratic National Convention has long faded. Now, Chicago City Council members are facing the reality of the city's $1 billion budget gap.
On Thursday, they were briefed on the financial strain, part of which stems from the migrant crisis. Chicago has spent millions sheltering recent arrivals from the border.
"This was a federal issue; we need federal reimbursement for the migrant crisis," said 32nd Ward Alderman Scott Waguespack. "We spent emergency money to make sure people weren’t scattered all over the streets, simply because there was gridlock in D.C. We stepped in to get migrants off the street."
This year, the City Council approved an additional $70 million for migrants, on top of hundreds of millions already spent.
This $70 million was in addition to funds provided by Cook County and the State of Illinois.
Waguespack referenced the chaos of finding shelter for migrants, including approving a tent encampment on environmentally hazardous land in Brighton Park.
"The bottom line is, we’ve got to manage our money better in this city, and we haven’t done it," said 6th Ward Alderman William Hall. "The state and federal governments gave us money for the migrant crisis, and it was mismanaged by the hundreds of millions. We can’t keep going back to the same well, because they won’t give us more money if they see it mismanaged."
36th Ward Alderman Gilbert Villegas and 15th Ward Alderman Ray Lopez also participated in the discussion on a taping of "Paris on Politics," calling for increased efficiency and cuts to city departments. Alderman Hall mentioned a survey he sent to the entire council seeking feedback on revenue-generating ideas, such as a congestion tax or a tax on electric vehicles. None of the council members were willing to commit to raising property taxes, as Mayor Brandon Johnson promised not to raise them during his four-year term.
"His window of opportunity is closing," Waguespack said. "There’s no way the state or federal governments are coming to rescue us. We have to be business-friendly and cut the red tape seriously. We can’t keep raiding the same places. We can’t go to the hotels and stick it to them."