It’s Friday. Take in the latest headlines from WTTW News before you enjoy your weekend to the fullest.
|
|
|
|
|
|
 |
(Michael Izquierdo / WTTW News)
|
A budget task force stressed patience and said long-term structural reforms are the best solution to Chicago’s persistent fiscal crisis as the city faces an estimated shortfall of nearly $700 million next year.
The Chicago Financial Future Task Force — a group of nearly two dozen business, labor, public policy and community leaders — published its final report Thursday that included 58 policy recommendations, such as instituting a downtown congestion fee, restructuring electricity tax rates and instituting property tax increases based on the national consumer price index.
“This challenge was not created overnight,” Chicago Urban League President and task force co-chair Karen Freeman-Wilson told reporters this week. “So there has to be — for there to be sustainability — a gradual fix. And it’s not just revenue, it’s not just cutting expenses, it’s not just looking at some of the long-term structural liabilities. It’s all of those things.”
The task force, launched early last year through an executive order from Mayor Brandon Johnson, has sought to find ways to resolve the city’s “persistent structural imbalance.”
While the final report offers a host of recommendations, task force leaders said they’re not pushing for any specific course of action, but instead sought to compile all available choices and the considerations associated with each.
More context:
The task force estimated a budget shortfall of $680 million for the city in the 2027 fiscal year, and said baseline assumptions show recurring gaps of between $680-780 million each year moving forward.
In order to get closer to financial stability, the task force said the city must improve its pension sustainability, modernize its operations and grow its tax base through investment and job creation.
Pension reform specifically is highlighted throughout the report, as the task force said Chicago’s four public pension systems are currently underfunded by approximately $36 billion.
“The stakes of inaction are not merely financial,” the report states. “If the City continues on its current path, fixed and legacy costs will absorb a growing share of available resources, leaving less flexibility to maintain reliable services, invest in neighborhoods, respond to downturns, or support long-term competitiveness.”
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Mayor Brandon Johnson signs an executive order establishing an Office of Gun Violence Reduction on June 25, 2026. (City of Chicago livestream)
|
Mayor Brandon Johnson signed an executive order Thursday that aims to bring the city a step closer to establishing a city department solely focused on addressing gun violence.
The executive order establishing an Office of Gun Violence Reduction comes in the aftermath of weekend violence that led advocates to renew calls for the city to establish a new Department of Gun Violence Reduction, claiming the existing Office of Violence Prevention doesn’t do enough to keep Chicagoans safe.
The new Office of Gun Violence Reduction, housed within the mayor’s Office of Community Safety, will be tasked with coordinating violence prevention efforts, victim services and community safety investments, according to the executive order.
The new office will be led by Deputy Mayor for Community Safety Emmanuel Andre who will now serve the dual role of executive director of gun violence reduction. A full-time deputy director will also be appointed. That position will be dedicated to meeting the requirements of the executive order.
In addition, the executive order:
Tasks the office to develop and implement a comprehensive five-year gun violence reduction strategy.
Forms an interdepartmental gun violence reduction cabinet.
Forms a gun violence reduction advisory council — composed of 17 members representing community violence intervention organizations, grassroots organizations, faith leaders, mental health professionals and philanthropic partners.
Outlines procedures to support the establishment of a permanent Department of Gun Violence Reduction.
The mayor will reassign personnel from city departments, including, but not limited to the Department of Public Health and the Department of Family and Support Services to support the work of the Office of Gun Violence Reduction, according to the executive order.
Employees assigned to support the office are expected to report to the office’s executive director while continuing to report to the head of their home department or agency.
The funding for the new office is available in this year’s budget, a spokesperson for the mayor said in an email, but did not specify how much funding is being allocated for the office.
The establishment of a permanent department would require City Council approval.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 |
Screenshot from Matt Brewer's campaign launch video. (Courtesy of Matt Brewer via YouTube)
|
Former Chicago Housing Authority board chair and current board member Matt Brewer announced Thursday he is entering the crowded race for mayor.
The announcement comes just months after Mayor Brandon Johnson moved to oust Brewer as chair of the Chicago Housing Authority after Brewer led the push to appoint a new CEO despite the mayor’s objections.
“At the CHA, I’ve had a front row seat to see the dysfunction coming out of City Hall,” Brewer said in a campaign launch video. “I’m running for mayor because, for too long, we’ve been presented with a false choice about Chicago’s future.”
“We can invest in our people without sacrificing our competitive edge,” Brewer continued. “We can be a city that’s affordable to live and a great place to do business. A city that thinks boldly about issues like housing, education and public transit. A city of opportunity for everyone.”
Some backstory:
The South Side native is also an attorney and entrepreneur. He co-owns Chicago’s iconic Wiener’s Circle and co-owns the city’s first independent, Black-owned marijuana dispensary.
Brewer is the latest candidate to launch their mayoral campaign this month, joining state Comptroller Susana Mendoza who announced plans to run June 3 and Cook County Board of Review commissioner George Cardenas who announced last week.
Also running are U.S. Rep. Mike Quigley and businessmen Joe Holberg and Liam Stanton. Cook County Treasurer Maria Pappas and Illinois Secretary of State Alexi Giannoulias are also expected to enter the race.
Johnson has not formally said yet whether he will seek a second term in office.
Brewer grew up in the Grand Crossing neighborhood on the South Side and holds degrees from Stanford University, Yale Law School and Harvard Business School.
Chicago’s mayoral election is scheduled for Feb. 23, 2027.
|
|
|
|
|
|
More From WTTW News:
|
|
 |
|
|
|
Back in the Day: June 26, 1954 - A Killer “Seiche” Wave Drowns 8 People
|
In June 1954, Chicago was in the middle of a heat wave with temperatures rising above 100 degrees on June 25, 1954. The following day, 72 years ago this date, lower temperatures and ominous clouds were on the horizon. While a chance of rain kept most at home, several dozen people flocked to Montrose Harbor. At 9:25 a.m., what the Tribune described as a “monstrous, hump-backed sea beast” of a wave descended upon the pier and pushed around 50 people into the water. The 8-foot crest
stretched from North Avenue beach to Wilmette. That was what was called a seiche (pronounced “saysh”), which is when drastic changes in atmospheric pressure and winds push water from one end to the other. If you’ve watched a tub of water slosh back and forth, that’s basically the same concept, except it’s an entire lake. All in all, eight people were killed in the wave.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
What's the best place for deep-dish pizza? Tell us why.
|
|
|
Email DailyChicagoan@wttw.com with your responses and your answers might be published. Here's what you had to say:
“Burt’s Place in Morton Grove. Currently being run by handpicked successors. I have followed Burt since the late ‘60s…Most of the veggie toppings come from their own garden on premises. I encourage everyone to try this at least once. You will not regret it!” — Bob S.
“Giordano’s. Best sauce, and best cheese to sauce & crust ratio. Delicious hot or cold.” — Tracey R.E.
“Our family’s absolute favorite is Lou Malnati’s. How can anyone resist that flaky, buttery crust! I discovered their deep dish pizza back in 1972 at the Lincolnwood location. Today, that legendary, gooey stretch of mozzarella cheese off the server (spatula) remains a beautiful moment of delicious anticipation.” — Linda N.
“Old Chicago Pizza Company. The scratch made quality shines in the crust and the balance of the sauce.” — @Dundadah89
|
|
|
|
|
5:30 PM | 7:00 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
|
|
|
|
|
