Chicago (WLS) – On the eve of his second anniversary, Mayor Brandon Johnson talks about the lessons learned from a year full of conflicts.
The mayor deals with battles on the city's budget, school financing and Trump administration.
ABC7 Chicago now flows 24/7. Click here to watch
However, he also had some victories, including seeing violent crime continues to go down.
The mayor spoke with the ABC7 Chicago political correspondent Craig Wall about his second year in the review.
If Johnson believes that things may become easier in his second year in office, Chicago had something else in the store: many challenges. But the mayor is not desirable and is now more determined than ever to continue to pay his agenda.
Johnson described last year as a testimony on the city's stability and his focus on helping workers.
“We are standing for workers in this city, and I was elected to do so, and this is exactly what I did,” he said.
Some may say it was a kind of rock year.
Johnson said: “This is sometimes what comes with the transformation, is it not?
The self -carried collaborator often raised the presidents with the city council during the budget season. He was forced to back down to raise property taxes.
Johnson said: “This is the most important thing I learned here is that I must do a better job in communicating with the people of this city what I do and why do I do that,” Johnson said.
After that, there was a failed attempt to overthrow the CEO of General Schools in Chicago, Pedro Martinez, and to resign the wholesale from the board of directors of the selected school.
Johnson said: “Well, see, here is the most important thing to be noticed. I started to transform our school area, and we do it,” Johnson said.
But the mayor received a reasonable housing decree and a contract for teachers.
Violent crime continues in the direction with summer, just around the corner.
“Well, as I said, it's the police,” and. “Johnson said that what appears to be,” and “we will continue to prepare for large gatherings, and we have developed a comprehensive approach.” “We have to do a much better job in ensuring that we are all able to prevent them from happening.”
Johnson was not recognized in his criticism of President Donald Trump, even if it cost the city's federal funding.
Johnson said: “My job and my responsibility at this moment is to protect the Chicago people at any cost, and I will continue to do so,” Johnson said.
Johnson was also not interested in low polling numbers.
“I do not ask for attention. I do not seek, as you know, a bad reputation. I don't even ask for popularity. I ask for results, and that's what I will focus on,” he said.
The mayor is ready to move forward in the third year, motivated by the lessons learned and the goals that will still be achieved.
Johnson said, “Did we do everything?
One of those battles is to find more sources of progressive revenue, which, so far, has struggled with the mayor to win. It also needs to close the firefighters contract.
Of course, it is not too early to think about his re -election plans.
Publishing Rights © 2025 WLS-TV. All rights reserved.