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Today’s Daily Chicagoan is brought to you, in part, by: |
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Good morning, Chicago. We have just one more week until Christmas. |
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(Michael Izquierdo / WTTW News) |
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A plan to bridge Chicago’s $1.2 billion budget gap without hiking taxes on large firms — now headed to a final vote of the City Council with the endorsement of two key city panels — would leave the city with a deficit of more than $163 million, according to Mayor Brandon Johnson.
Johnson called the plan speculative, infeasible and immoral, but has yet to announce whether he would veto the plan. It would take 34 votes to override that rejection.
Despite the mayor’s opposition and dire warnings from the city’s top financial officials, the City Council’s Budget Committee voted 21-13 late Wednesday to send the plan to the full City Council for a final vote, which could take place as soon as Friday. The two votes amount to a stunning rebuke of Johnson, his administration and his vision for the city.
City officials have just 13 days to avoid an unprecedented shutdown of city government.
The rival budget proposal would impose $473 million in new taxes and fees while relying on $35 million in revenue from advertising on city light poles, vehicles and in other public spaces.
More context:
Budget Director Annette Guzman, Chief Financial Officer Jill Jaworski and Comptroller Michael Belsky told the City Council’s Budget Committee on Wednesday that only a fraction of those proposals were realistic, legal or even possible.
Jaworski said Chicago was certain to see its credit rating downgraded if the City Council passes an unbalanced budget, making it much more expensive for the city to borrow money. Supporters of the rival budget plan repeatedly insisted that it is balanced.
The rival budget plan also calls for the city to collect an additional $89 million from Chicagoans who owe to the city ambulance payments, utility bills, red-light camera tickets and other debt while eliminating Johnson’s proposal to levy a $33 per month per employee tax on companies with 500 or more employees in order to generate $82 million to fund violence prevention and youth employment programs.
While Johnson and his allies have defended the so-called head tax as the best way to continue funding the programs they credit with reducing Chicago’s homicide rate by approximately 29% and the city’s overall violent crime rate by more than 22%, opponents contend the tax will kill jobs and stifle economic growth. |
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Sponsor Message |
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A simple act of kindness, just one flicker of hope, can make all the difference. Catholic Charities of Chicago brings warmth, meals, and hope to families right here in Cook and Lake counties. Learn more at catholiccharities.net. |
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U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents make an arrest during an early morning operation in Park Ridge, Ill., Friday, Sept. 19, 2025. (AP Photo / Erin Hooley) |
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Since the announcement of so-called “Operation Midway Blitz” in September, thousands of people living in Chicago have been arrested by federal immigration agents. For many Latino families and business owners, everyday routines became suddenly complicated with the added fear of masked federal agents patrolling neighborhood streets, often in unmarked vehicles. Community leaders from around the city joined discuss the operation’s impact on local life.
Small businesses:
Crain’s Chicago Business reported in early September, before the commencement of “Operation Midway Blitz,” that small businesses in Little Village were experiencing 20% to 50% year over year revenue drops because of immigration arrests.
“It’s been terrible,” Edgar Estrada, marketing and communications manager for the Illinois Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, said. “We hear so many horror stories of just not seeing the same liveliness that you see typically in that neighborhood. … It’s definitely lowered the foot traffic.”
Parishioners:
ICE’s presence led some Latino parishioners to stop attending mass, according to the Rev. Juan Vargas, priest at Our Lady of the Rosary Parish.
“The (attendance) numbers have been lower but still strong,” Vargas said. “We would see 50 or 70 depending on any ICE activity in the area, which would cause a little bit of extra fear.”
Education:
Sylvelia Pittman, a teacher at Henry H. Nash Elementary School of Fine & Performing Arts, said Latino students have been showing up less, if their families have not already left the area entirely.
“We have seen some of our students not come to school because of this; 30% of our population is our Latino population,” Pittman said. “Some of them have talked about being afraid to come to school. … We’ve lost some students because families have started to move, because of the fear of coming in contact with ICE as well.” |
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Chicago police officers respond to Ariel Roman, who is seated on the ground moments after he was shot inside the Grand Red Line station on Feb. 28, 2020. (Civilian Office of Police Accountability) |
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A federal jury determined Chicago police officers did not violate the civil rights of the Chicago man they shot during a February 2020 incident in the Grand Red Line CTA station, records show. After a seven-day trial, the jury determined the city should pay nothing to Ariel Roman, records show. Roman’s attorney declined to comment to WTTW News about the verdict. A spokesperson for the Department of Law said the department was pleased with the verdict.
Before the trial began, Chicago taxpayers paid $1.1 million to private lawyers hired to defend the two officers who attempted to stop Roman. A final tally of how much the successful defense cost will not be available for several weeks. Former Chicago Police Officer Melvina Bogard was acquitted in November 2022 on criminal charges of aggravated battery and official misconduct for shooting Roman during rush hour at one of the city’s busiest train stations. The trial represented a high-stakes gamble for the city that paid off. City lawyers typically recommend settling civil cases involving actions by the police that led to criminal charges and are ruled to have violated department policy. |
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Back in the Day: Dec. 18, 1932 - Bears Win First-Ever NFL Playoff Game |
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On this day, 93 years ago, the Chicago Bears won the first-ever NFL playoff game. Before 1932, NFL champions were determined solely by regular season standings but when both the Chicago Bears and the Portsmouth Spartans ended the season with a 6-1 record, the league decided to settle the tie with a head-to-head matchup. Wrigley Field was the originally scheduled venue, but inclement weather forced the game to be moved to the indoor arena Chicago Stadium. There, the Bears shut out the Spartans 9-0, becoming the first victors in the first-ever playoff game. The following year, the NFL divided the league into two divisions and had the leaders face off in a championship after the regular season (the Bears won that first championship in 1933). By 1934, the Spartans would move to Detroit and become the Lions. |
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This Week’s Arts & Culture Events
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Each Thursday, WTTW News producer Josh Terry highlights the city’s must-see cultural events.
Josh Terry: It’s the holidays, which means it’s a perfect time to relax at home and hibernate until New Year’s Eve festivities. While there’s nothing wrong with taking a load off and getting some needed rest, Chicago’s rich arts communities aren’t stopping just because Santa Claus is coming to town. If you feel like venturing out and exploring, here are a few suggested events.
Museum: ‘From Page to Pixel: Discovering the Digital Newberry’ — Newberry Library
The Newberry Library boasts a massive collection that includes over 1.6 million books, 600,000 maps and much more. Over the past three decades, much of this archive has been digitally copied and in a new exhibit opening today, you can get a taste of what their online collection has to offer. It’ll run through March at the library’s Hanson Gallery. Details here.
Market: Dead Inside — Sleeping Village
For the past five years, the Grateful Dead’s catalog has been celebrated across Chicago venues and bars thanks to Dead Inside, a duo of vinyl DJs and lifelong fans. To celebrate their anniversary, they're hosting a party/holiday market at Avondale’s Sleeping Village on Saturday. It’s a free event. Details can be found here.
Film: Working Girl: The Films of Barbara Stanwyck — Music Box Theatre
Barbara Stanwyck managed to star in 86 movies in a 38-year period, including many films that are considered all-time greats like "Double Indemnity," “The Lady Eve” and “Forty Guns.” Starting Dec. 27, the Music Box will pay tribute to the legendary acting talent with a series of screenings spanning to the end of January. Tickets and showtimes can be found here.
Dance: Celestial Soirée — Metro, Smart Bar
Want to dance on New Year’s Eve? There are few better options than an all-building party at Metro Chicago. DJs will be performing at both smartbar and Metro all night. Details and tickets can be found here.
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What's your favorite Chicago-made or Chicago-themed holiday gift?
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Email DailyChicagoan@wttw.com with your responses and your answers might be published. |
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A program that helps seniors in Chinatown navigate the digital world and their city is under threat after federal budget cuts.
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What happened at the first meeting of the Illinois Accountability Commission, which aims to shed light on the impact of chemical agents during "Operation Midway Blitz."
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5:30 PM | 10:00 PM |
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Want more WTTW News content? Follow WTTW on Instagram to check in with us daily, go behind-the-scenes, and more. |
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Newsletter Producer: Josh Terry |
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