|
|
|
 |
Mayor Brandon Johnson presides over a meeting of the Chicago City Council. (WTTW News)
|
Chicago voters will not get to weigh in on whether the Illinois General Assembly should impose a 3% surtax on those earning $1 million or more annually during the November election.
But they will get a chance to tell Mayor Brandon Johnson to replace the city’s controversial gunshot detection system and urge city officials to create a permanent home for festivals and other large events during the November election.
Officials can pose no more than three nonbinding questions about citywide issues or policies during each election, giving them a chance to drum up support — or opposition — from voters.
The fight over which questions will appear on November’s ballot erupted into a proxy fight between the mayor and his increasingly emboldened opponents on the City Council, even though the results will only carry symbolic weight.
What happened:
State lawmakers declined to give voters a chance in November to impose a 3% surtax on Illinois residents earning $1 million or more per year, much to Johnson’s frustration. The mayor’s attempt to use a nonbinding referendum to keep the proposal in the spotlight was thwarted by his critics on the City Council.
Alderpeople also blocked a proposal from Johnson to ask voters about whether the city should establish a fund to offer financial assistance to Chicagoans struggling to stay in their home because of massive property tax increases.
While progressive members of the City Council could have blocked the measure authored by Ald. Marty Quinn (13th Ward) that will ask voters whether the city should restart the use of “gunshot detection technology that informs first responders when gunshots are detected” from making it on to the ballot, they did not.
Another spot for an advisory question will be filled by a proposal authored by Ald. Nicole Lee (11th Ward) to quiz voters on whether Chicago “should develop permanent festival and outdoor event space for large-scale events.”
Much of Grant Park has been closed to the public for several months during recent summers because of Lollapalooza and the Sueños Music Festival.
With one of the spots for advisory ballot questions empty, the City Council is scheduled to meet again on July 22.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 |
(WTTW News)
|
Chicago Public Schools is banking on $200 million in tax funding from the city and planning for a mid-year funding freeze and a week of furlough days to help close its $732 million budget shortfall.
District officials on Wednesday outlined their $9.88 billion budget proposal for the 2027 fiscal year, as they combat “serious financial challenges” including declining enrollment and revenue and greater student need.
“We are not budgeting for the district we had yesterday,” CPS CEO Macquline King told reporters Wednesday. “It is imperative we are budgeting for the students we serve today and the futures of tomorrow.”
More context:
According to King, CPS is counting on $200 million in Tax Increment Financing (TIF) funding from the city. The district is also set to shift five professional development days into unpaid furlough days and rely on a mid-year, districtwide spending freeze to plug the spending gap.
While CPS pointed to an increase of $143 million in funding for schools compared to last year, including increases for special education classroom assistants and bilingual educators, King acknowledged having to make “difficult decisions” to close the budget gap.
CPS officials stressed the furloughs are “an absolute last resort” and will not affect student instructional time. Those furlough dates are set to fall between January and June 2027 to give district leaders and other education officials more time to advocate for additional revenue from the state before they’re implemented in hopes they could ultimately be avoided.
Chicago Teachers Union President Stacy Davis Gates called the district’s proposal “dead on arrival,” adding that CPS leaders “already know that.”
“Students have had to learn in overcrowded classes, practice under unpaid coaches, and be counseled by caseworkers with loads beyond compare all year,” Davis Gates said in a statement Wednesday, “and now CPS thinks they can plan a week of furloughs and tell the staff who serve them they don’t have a job? Please.”
The CTU on Wednesday called the proposed cuts “unnecessary,” claiming they would have a “devastating effect on school communities.”
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 |
(Kristen Prahl / iStock)
|
In the fight against the emerald ash borer beetle, beer has been a surprisingly effective weapon.
Horner Park’s eighth annual BrewFest, set for Friday night at the North Side park, features tastings from dozens of local craft brewers, with proceeds from ticket sales supporting the park advisory council’s efforts to maintain a healthy grove of ash trees.
Even as the ash borer has felled hundreds of thousands of ash across Chicago, BrewFest has raised enough money for the council to continue treating the park’s ash trees with a life-saving injection.
“All our original ash trees are doing really well and we’ve even added several additional native species to round out our collection,” said John Friedmann, a member of the advisory council and founder of the Save Your Ash coalition.
Last year’s BrewFest provided funds to protect the park’s ash trees for the next few years. This year’s proceeds will help subsidize the advisory council’s goal of getting Horner Park certified as an accredited arboretum, Friedmann said.
Tickets to BrewFest are $50 in advance. Along with samplings of local beers and ciders, the fest also features live music and food trucks.
The event often sells out but day-of walkup tickets are typically available for $60 to cover cancellations, according to Friedmann.
|
|
|
|
|
|
More From WTTW News:
|
|
|
 |
|
|
|
Back in the Day: July 16, 2005 - David Beckham Makes Soldier Field Debut
|
On this day 21 years ago, 54,432 people flocked to Soldier Field for a friendly match between Spanish soccer club Real Madrid and Mexico’s Chivas Guadalajara. The biggest storyline for those attending was getting a glimpse of global superstar David Beckham, who played his first-ever match in Chicago as a midfielder for Real Madrid. In the 77th minute, fans got their wish to witness Beckham “bend” a free kick directly in front of Madrid’s Álvaro Mejía who headed it directly into Chivas’ goal. Madrid would win the game 3-1. According to the Chicago Tribune, new fans were converted to the beautiful game: “It’s my first soccer match and I’m a true fan now. I’m hooked,” Chicagoan Drew DeMoss said. “The players showed skills I never thought they could show. It was awesome.”
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Every Thursday, WTTW News newsletter producer Josh Terry highlights his picks for the week’s must-see cultural events.
Whenever it’s summer in Chicago, there’s always so much going on. You walk through your neighborhood, and there’s a solid chance you’ll stumble upon a massive street festival happening nearby. There’s Ravinia, the free concert series at Grant Park, theater and art gallery openings and more. We get it: Yes, it’s sometimes overwhelming but it’s better to say yes and try something new than to sit at home debating whether to go out and explore the city. Below, I’ve compiled a handful of events that all seem like a nice time.
Theater: “Octet” — Goodman Theatre
Being into art, it’s best to have an open mind. If you don’t, then the pitch of a new musical called “Octet” might scare you away: “an acapella musical about internet addiction.” Whether the words “acapella,” “musical” or “internet addiction” are what turned you off, the Chicago Tribune and others have been raving about it. “Octect” premiered as the first musical in Edgewater’s Raven Theatre’s 43-year history and critic Chris Jones called it “astonishing.” It’s now at the Goodman Theatre for an
extended run that goes through Aug. 2. Buy tickets here. Also: It’s becoming a feature film directed by Lin-Manuel Miranda starring Amanda Seyfried, Sheryl Lee Ralph and Jonathan Groff.
Comedy: “Pandemonium, Please Hold” — Second City
One of the best-reviewed shows happening in Chicago is Second City’s latest mainstage revue, “a high-energy night of sketch and improv” called “Pandemonium, Please Hold.” It’s going to run until February 2027 and shows happen several times a week, but don’t let that stop you from taking in what Curtain Call Chicago says is “smart, hysterically chaotic and a triumph of mainstage shows.” Buy tickets here.
Art: Six Exhibition Openings — Epiphany Center for the Arts
The West Loop event space, music venue and art gallery Epiphany Center for the Arts will be hosting six exhibition openings at 2 p.m. Sunday. Among the presentations featured are painter Laleh Motlagh’s “The Jade,” sculptor Max Li’s “Temple Toys” and painter Benjamin Holmes’ “SAIC Diploma Pickup! Reminder.” Peruse what’s on offer here and RSVP to any opening that strikes your fancy. All will run until Sept. 20.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
What's the best place for a Chicago-style hot dog?
|
|
|
Email DailyChicagoan@wttw.com with your responses and your answers might be published.
|
|
|
|
|
5:30 PM | 10:00 PM
|
|
|
Want more WTTW News content? Follow WTTW on
Instagram to check in with us daily, go behind-the-scenes, and more.
|
Newsletter Producer: Josh Terry
|
|
|
|
|
