Release of the FY26 Budget
At this week’s City Council meeting, Mayor Johnson released the administration’s budget proposal for FY26:
- Read the FY26 Budget Overview
- Read the full FY26 Budget Recommendations
- View the FY26 Budget Data Dashboard
Our team is currently analyzing the full budget, and look forward to sharing our insights with you soon! In the meantime, budget hearings begin next week, and we encourage you to tune in. You can attend in person or tune in virtually via chicityclerk.com. Here’s a schedule of hearings:
- Tuesday, October 21st at 10am: Budget & Finance
- Office of Budget and Management (OBM)
- Department of Finance (DOF)
- Office of the Chief Financial Officer (CFO)
- Wednesday, October 22nd at 9:30am: Infrastructure, Day 1
- Department of Transportation (CDOT)
- Department of Streets and Sanitation (DSS)
- Department of Technology and Innovation (DTI)
- Thursday, October 23rd at 9:30am: Infrastructure, Day 2
- Department of Aviation (DOA)
- Department of Water Management (DWM)
- Department of Fleet and Facility Management (FFM)
- Department of Buildings (DOB)
- Wednesday, October 29th at 12pm: Oversight, Administrative Services & the Environment
- Office of the Inspector General (OIG)
- Department of Procurement Services (DPS)
- Department of Environment (DOE)
- Thursday, October 30th at 9:30am: Social Services
- Mayor’s Office for People with Disabilities (MOPD)
- Department of Family and Support Services (DFSS)
- Chicago Department of Public Health (CDPH)
- Chicago Commission on Human Relations (CCHR)
- Tuesday, November 4th at 9:30am: Economic Development & Arts
- Department of Business Affairs and Consumer Protection (BACP)
- Department of Planning and Development (DPD)
- Department of Housing (DOH)
- Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events (DCASE)
- Chicago Public Library (CPL)
- Wednesday, November 5th at 9:30am: Public Safety Day 1
- Chicago Police Department (CPD)
- Thursday, November 5th at 9:30am: Public Safety Day 2
- Office of Public Safety Administration (OPSA)
- Office of Emergency Management and Communications (OEMC)
- Chicago Fire Department (CFD)
- Wednesday, November 12th at 9:30am: Human Resources & Oversight
- Department of Human Resources (DHR)
- Board of Ethics (BOE)
- Civilian Office for Police Accountability (COPA)
- Community Commissioner for Public Safety and Accountability (CCPSA)
- License Appeal Commission (LAC)
- Chicago Police Board (CPB)
- Thursday, November 13th at 9:30am: Independent Offices & Regulatory Agencies
- City Treasurer
- City Clerk
- Department of Administrative Hearings
- Chicago Board of Elections
- Chicago Animal Care and Control (CACC)
- Department of Law (DOL)
For an explainer on the Chicago budget process, check out our Budget Explainer from last year! We also recommend checking out the independent budget watchdog organizations below for their coverage of the 2026 City Budget!
Committee on Immigrant and Refugee Rights Report
The Committee on Immigrant and Refugee Rights held a meeting on October 15th to discuss the recent actions of ICE and DHS in our communities. If you missed it, you can watch a recording! The following resolutions were debated and passed out of committee:
- Call on Illinois Congressional delegation to investigate every instance of potential misconduct by United States Department of Homeland Security and other deputized agents operating in Chicago
(R2025-0019961), introduced by Ald. Vasquez - Condemnation of practices by federal immigration enforcement agents that endanger children; urging resident reporting of immigration enforcement misconduct; and calls for federal and state action regarding ICE misconduct (SR2025-0019952), introduced by Ald. Sigcho-Lopez (25th Ward)
- Call for support of immigrant communities, racial justice, and constitutional freedoms and opposition of military presence in Chicago (SR2025-0019181), introduced by Ald. Mike Rodriguez (22nd Ward)
The first two resolutions were voted on and passed the full City Council this week! Due outstanding feedback from the Department of Law, the third was deferred and published and will be voted on in next month’s City Council.