Brandon Johnson was elected Mayor of Chicago earlier this year. He was elected after promising the people and communities of Chicago he would invest in the population of the city; make the streets safer; and protect the environment. For this reason, Mayor Johnson has already created a budget plan for 2024 that will help him get closer to achieving the goals he promised. The budget plan that has been created will go towards the opening of two mental health clinics. Moreover, it will go towards police spending as well, which will help the police force to focused on recruiting more detectives. Additionally, the budget will help many asylum seekers and it will not include a property tax hike.
The new 2024 plan will include a $16.6 billion budget as Mayor Johnson presented two weeks ago to the City Counsel. First, the city will fund the budget by finding $243 million in “expenditure savings” and $321 million thanks to “improved revenue projections.” Also, $76 million of the budget will go towards the economic vitality, workers rights, and labor. For example, jobs for the youth will be included in the equal distribution of the $76 million.
Also, $15 million will go towards health and human services. Another, $250 million will go towards housing and a additional $10 million will go to low-income homeowners. One hundred million dollars will go towards community safety and $53 million will go to the city’s six Lead Service Line Replacement programs. There will also be a $307 million budget towards the cities financial responsibilities. Which will include, pension funds in order to ensure the continued growth in each pension funds funded ratio. Lastly, Mayor Brandon Johnson also said the his campaign will be delivering a $1 billion investment in priorities. What this means is that there will be a $1 billion investment in different services. Such as the lead service line replacement program, the airport modernization programs, and more.
Mayor Johnson Funding Opportunities
The 2024 budget Mayor Brandon Johnson created will allowed and give people numerous of opportunities and possibilities in order to have a chance to grow in this economy. Some of these possibilities are job opportunities which as of right now there will be 398 new civilian positions to the Chicago police department which will create 440 “promotional opportunities.”
Furthermore, the city will be creating a Department of Environment and a Department of Innovation and Technology. And along side the Department of Family and Support Services the city will create an Office of New Arrivals. There will also be an increased of staff on the Office of Emergency Management and Communications.
This are just a few of the opportunities that will come along as the new budget plan for 2024 takes action. The intention of the new budget plans is to focused on offering the people of Chicago as much opportunities as they can and take into consideration peoples priorities and needs.
Obstacles
Despite the numerous benefits Mayor Brandon Johnson is striving to achieve through the innovative budget plan. There is going to be a inevitable setback, that will required some adjustment in order to make it work. In this case the set back the new budget plan will be experiencing will be a budget shortfall of $538 million in the 2024 fiscal year. However, Mayor Brandon Johnson promised to “hold the line” against any increase in the property tax levy.
It has been stated the budget gap its due to the escalating cost of sheltering, feeding, and caring for the more than 13,500 men, women and children sent to Chicago from the southern border. As well as the immigrants that will keep arriving in the upcoming future. Despite, this information and the fact that the city will be experiencing financial constraints due to the shortfall. Mayor Brandon Johnson said in the following statement:
The projected budget gap paints a realistic picture of our city’s financial condition, which will require careful consideration and strategic action. In the coming weeks, we will be taking a much closer look at the challenges we face, and how we will address those challenges reasonably and responsibly, and not on the backs of workers and working families.
Written By Nohemi Sanchez
Sources:
Block Club Chicago: Mayor Johnson’s Budget Plan Callas For Reopening Dept. Of Environment, Some Mental Health Clinics
CHICAGO SUN TIMES: Mayor Brandon Johnson’s first city Budget offers down payment on campaign promises
Wttw NEWS: Chicago Faces $538M Budget Shortfall in 2024, Mayor Brandon Johnson Says
CHICAGO: Mayor Johnson keeps promise of making strategic investments while balancing $16.6 billion budgets without raising property taxes
Featured Image Courtesy of SHYCITYNikon Flickr Page – Creative Commons License
Inset Image Courtesy of Marco Verch Professional Photographer Flickr Page – Creative Commons License
