Mayor Brandon Johnson will return to Springfield next week to increase pressure on his financing requests for Chicago, but in a local and national political scene that has shifted flavored since his last trip to the state – and with BP Pritzker governor, he proactively threw cold water on his visit.
In his press conference on the city on Tuesday, the mayor confirmed that he will go to the General Assembly in Illinois and meet with Pritzker, as well as the Speaker of Parliament Emmanuel “Chris”, Walsh and Speaker of the Senate Don Harmon. The bulletin of Tribunes shows that the mayor's political organization is also planning to host a reception for the Chicago delegation at the Springfield place next Tuesday evening.
Johnson told reporters, the summit of his agenda, “He did not change,” before his chief of staff, Christina Bacon-Zaas, explained that it includes securing the financing of public schools in Chicago and transportation systems; “Creating additional revenues, or keeping revenues” from tax replacement taxes and personal property; Investing in the state's joint refuge system for immigrants and homeless.
The mayor visited the last time the General Assembly in May 2024 and witnessed faded results. But this time, Johnson hinted that President Donald Trump's second term – and “a serious conversation about what Chicago means at this moment” – will increase the urgency of state leaders to move to his agenda in Springfield.
Johnson said: “I will remain optimistic and hope that the city of Chicago will receive its deserving, especially at a time when the federal government continues to threaten our democracy, as well as everything that is reasonable about how to achieve revenues for workers,” Johnson said.
But the ruler suggested to the correspondents on Tuesday that the mayor had to have had great financial obligations from the country months ago.
“I will say that it is April as we gather our budget in the last half of the previous year and then offer it in February. So, it will be difficult for us to talk about things in the current budget,” Pritzker said during an unrealistic event. “Nevertheless, again, perhaps there are things that we can move in the budget that will be useful for the city of Chicago.”
The last $ 3.2 billion in the room? The Chicago Beers suggestion, which was revealed a year ago, for a new domain stadium for the audience on the lake – where Johnson collected many of his political capital in Springfield, to no avail yet.
But despite the assertion of the President/CEO of Bears Kevin Warren this month that “the focus now is the city center and the Erlington Heights”, Johnson remained optimistic on Tuesday that he would not be the mayor who was losing the privilege of the US Football Association in the suburbs.
“We will work with the General Assembly to find a way to maintain the bears in Chicago,” the mayor said, before the movement ignored at Arlington Heights. He said, “I don't see this pressure.” “If you don't have noticed, I am not pressuring as the mayor of Chicago.”
However, behind Johnson Al -Safaq's response, the imminent financial challenges facing the city regarding the Chicago Public Schools, Chicago Authority for Transport and its budget 2026. These pressures were doubled last year from the struggles to obtain legislators in Springfield and Bezkar to give Chicago what he requested.
Johnson, for his part, kept his cards close to his chest on Tuesday on the “progressive revenues” that he would have paid for the next week and beyond. In response to a question about details such as another referendum about the gradual income tax or the corporate tax in Chicago, the mayor said, “I think we should take everything.”
Pacione-Zayas was placed on the field to get more CPS financing by noting that the new focus will be to increase the “mandatory mosquitoes” of the Illinois Education Council, which are the required grants for special purposes such as student transport, private education and bilateral education.
This will be a different way to search for $ 1.1 billion in favor of CPS of the state -based financing formula, which Johnson said on Tuesday still a priority while walking slowly in the time it will take.
Johnson said of EBF financing levels: “Look, to completely achieve, it will take some time to get there. No one ignores it,” Johnson said about EBF. “They will always ask over time.”
But when it comes to CPS, money is needed soon, and options outside Springfield are risky.
Johnson obtained an initial union contract in Chicago earlier this month without a strike – or a way to pay the entire new collective negotiation agreement. Although the mayors are not expected to know where all the funds will come from the next four years when the deal is judged, the region is in a particularly narrow place for this.
CPS is expected to face a deficit of about $ 500 million in both the next five years. The school head of the school, Pedro Martinez, said that there is enough remaining money to start the contract, but not to increase both teachers and pay the thorny pensions of $ 175 million.
In fact, even if the mayor has his CPS financing desires in Springfield, the new flow of state funds may not be sufficient to treat these complications. This means that the Chicago Hybrid School Council may need to look at the previous plans of the Johnson Administration to issue more debts or to re -financing more debts or re -financing them – or move to discounts, which the mayor was against.
Meanwhile, the expected regional financial shelf is 730 million dollars for the city's bus and trains system waving on the horizon as the financing currents are dried this year. Springfield players weighing legislation linking a CTA rescue plan for new governance structures that would limit the impact of the mayor on the transit panels.
Johnson hinted that the transformation will be unfair because the largest share of CTA passengers compensates for all regional transportation systems: “It is only right for the Chicago people to have the authority to provide guidance.”
Pritzker also opened on Tuesday the door to the General Assembly in front of Punt to deal with the CTA financial shelf at the Veto Fall session.
He told reporters that the reform of transportation and financing does not necessarily need to complete it by the time when the current spring session is scheduled to conclude on May 31, but it should be resolved “relatively soon.”
“A lot of work has been done. I realize that everyone is in arms,” ​​Where is the bill? Why do not we really discuss a bill? “But the reality, as you know, has been held many listening sessions, and many meetings were held, with two administrations and inside the legislature.” “Work on repairs for some time.”
Originally published: April 22, 2025 at 4:13 pm CDT
