Have you been wondering how Chicago's new budget will impact your wallet in 2025? We've got answers. Start your Monday off with WTTW News.
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(Michael Izquierdo / WTTW News)
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Chicagoans won’t see their 2025 property tax bills rise to cover the cost of a city-imposed increase, but they will have to dig deeper to cover a host of tax and fee hikes that a deeply divided Chicago City Council approved to fill a massive budget gap. The city’s new budget, which takes effect Wednesday, closed a $982.4 million gap with the help of a variety of tax and fee hikes. Here’s what you can expect:
Digital taxes: The largest tax increase generates $128.1 million by hiking the tax levied on software licenses, cloud services and other digital goods from 9% to 11%, records show. That tax is largely paid by large corporations, like Google, Amazon and Salesforce, rather than individual Chicagoans, officials said.
Streaming services: Chicagoans who rely on streaming services will see their bills rise after the City Council agreed to raise the tax paid by subscribers from 9% to 10.25%, which is expected to add $12.9 million to the city’s coffers.
Parking: The city expects to ring up an additional $11.3 million by hiking the tax paid by those who park in garages or use a valet service downtown from 20% on weekends and 22% on weekdays to 23.25% throughout the week. Residential parking zones will also cost $5 more per city sticker, and guest passes rise from $8 to $15 per sheet.
Ride-hailing: It will also be a bit more expensive to use a ride-hailing service to get, or leave, downtown. Passengers will pay a new $3 surcharge on ride-hailing trips that start or end in the Central Business District between 6 a.m. and 10 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday. The current weekday surcharge would drop to $2.75 from $3. In all, those changes are expected to add $8.1 million to the city’s bottom line.
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Steve Albini is interviewed by WTTW News on Aug. 30, 2001. (WTTW News)
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In August 2001, WTTW News’ Marc Vitali sat down with music maker Steve Albini. At 39, Albini was already a legend. As a recording engineer, he had recorded Nirvana, Jimmy Plant and Robert Page, the Breeders, the Pixies and PJ Harvey. Albini died earlier this year at 61.
Raw tapes of that interview — thought to be lost — were recently rediscovered and re-transcribed. Here’s some of what Albini had to say:
On Chicago’s music history: “There’s been a long association with Chicago and sort of ‘outsider music,’ whether it be free jazz or experimental music or long-haired heavily composed 20th century abstract music. Chicago has a pretty long association with music that is outside the can of normal mainstream pop music. That said, it also has a great history with respect to soul music and blues music and nowadays hip-hop and pop music.”
On pursuing a music career: “I don’t genuinely think that the world requires musicians to the extent that people want to be musicians, so I think it’s unrealistic to expect that something you’re doing because you want to do it is going to ultimately be your career. ... I think it’s healthier to be involved in music because you want to be involved in music.”
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A file photo of holiday ornaments. (WTTW News)
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With New Year’s Eve quickly approaching, people are planning how to step into 2025 with their best foot forward. In Latino cultures that could mean practicing traditions like eating 12 grapes under a table, wearing white clothing or deep cleaning your home — all in the name of entering the new year with good luck and prosperity. “Chicago Tonight: Latino Voices” spoke with three local women who shared their families’ New Year’s Eve traditions.
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Back In The Day: December 30, 1903 - Iroquois Theatre Fire Kills 602
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Today marks 121 years since the worst building disaster in Chicago history. Situated on West Randolph Street, between State and Dearborn, the Iroquois Theatre opened on Nov. 23, 1903. An opulent theater designed by Benjamin Marshall, it boasted a capacity of 1,602 across three audience levels. A little more than a month after its public debut, the Iroquois held a staging of “Mr. Bluebeard,” a comedy musical. 1,700 people attended. During the second act, a drape caught fire and eventually spread. Crowds were trapped and stampeding when a backdraft caused a fireball to explode throughout the theater. A total of 602 people were killed. As Smithsonian Magazine noted, several regulations had been flouted by the Iroquois, including “the lack of an adequate fire alarm, automatic sprinklers, marked exits, or suitable fire extinguishing devices. Even the two large flues on the rooftop where the smoke and flame could have vented out were boarded shut.” While no one was held criminally liable, the tragedy bolstered Chicago’s regulatory apparatus and led to reforms. To read more about architect Marshall, whose career still thrived following this tragedy, check out Marc Vitali’s retrospective from September.
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What’s one Chicago thing you’d like to accomplish or explore in 2025?
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Email DailyChicagoan@wttw.com with your responses and your answers might be published.
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Newsletter Producer: Josh Terry
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