Category: Council & Legislative Updates

Estimated: 5 minute read

2025 Budget Vote

Posted on

Statement from Ald. Vasquez on 2025 Budget Vote Five years ago, neighbors in our ward elected me as Alderperson of the 40th Ward because they wanted to turn the page from the way the city’s politics had been done for decades. I ran on a commitment to improving accessibility, transparency, and accountability in city government. […]

Estimated: 3 minute read

2025 Budget Update: Management Ordinance

Posted on

Budget Hearings concluded this week! You can visit the City Clerk’s Vimeo page if you want to catch up on any of the hearings you missed, or visit our Instagram page for daily debriefs on what we learned in the hearings. While budget hearings have concluded, negotiations are still very much ongoing. Ald. Vasquez and […]

Estimated: 2 minute read

40th Ward Budget Briefing

Posted on

Missed yesterday’s budget briefing? We’ve got you covered! Check out a video of the briefing and read through the presentation below. Special thanks to Geoffrey Cubbage from the Better Government Association for presenting BGA’s analysis of this year’s budget, and digging into the budgets for two of the departments that 40th Ward neighbors most wanted […]

Estimated: 6 minute read

2025 City Budget Analysis: Week 1

Posted on

This past week, we’ve been digging into the proposed 2025 City of Chicago budget to closely scrutinize the revenue and appropriations in this year’s budget and determine what changes may be necessary. Here’s what we’ve learned so far! Why is there such a large budget gap? Almost half of the city’s revenue comes from sources […]

Estimated: 4 minute read

2025 City Budget Announcement: What’s Included in this Year’s Budget?

Posted on

Today, Mayor Johnson announced his proposal for the 2025 City of Chicago Budget. See below for what we’ve learned so far! What’s Included in this Year’s Budget? We will have a full analysis of this year’s budget in the coming week (check out our 2024 Budget Transparency Tool to get a sense of what will […]

Estimated: 6 minute read

City Council Round-up: October 2024

Posted on

This week was a busy one in City Council! See below for a round-up on City Council, including the final passage of the Western Avenue Rezone, our hearing on the Extreme Weather Response, a call for a hearing on the Chicago School Board, and more. Call for a Hearing on the Chicago School Board This […]

Estimated: 4 minute read

Letter to Mayor Brandon Johnson on the City of Chicago’s Extreme Weather Response Plan

Posted on

This week, 39 City Council Members, led by 40th Ward Alderperson Andre Vasquez, sent a letter to Mayor Brandon Johnson and Chief Homelessness Officer Sendy Soto calling for immediate action to address significant gaps in the City’s Extreme Weather Response Plan. Spurred by calls from homeless service providers and advocates, a supermajority of the City […]

Estimated: 4 minute read

City Council Round-up: September 2024

Posted on

After a break in August, City Council re-convened this past Wednesday! See below for all the legislative highlights. Western Avenue Rezone Passes City Council! Earlier this year, we introduced an ordinance to rezone the 40th Ward stretch of Western Avenue to allow for more housing and businesses to support a more livable neighborhood. This week, […]

Estimated: 3 minute read

City Council Round-up: July 2024

Posted on

It’s been a busy month at City Council! See below for all the legislative highlights: Call for a Hearing on the City’s Extreme Weather Response This past month, in response to the outcry from the community about the need for a better city response to extreme weather after Chicago’s recent heat wave, we introduced a […]