City of Chicago 2026 Budget - Pros, Cons, and the Work Ahead
Dear Neighbors,
This 2026 budget season was especially challenging and contentious. Our City Council rejected the Mayor’s budget presented in October and at the last-minute, rushed to pass an alternative budget proposed by a subgroup of alders. There was not enough time to adequately evaluate the alternative budget, and transparency was thrown out the window. We ended up with two flawed budget proposals containing a number of false choices such as: Do you want to cut library funding or raise property taxes? Do you want to fund community safety initiatives or support economic development in Chicago? Do you want to introduce video gaming terminals in our restaurants or have a budget gap?
While the Mayor’s budget proposal established a funding source for alternative safety programs including violence prevention, survivor support, and officer wellness programs, the budget increased business licensing fees that would disproportionately impact our small business community. On the other hand, the alternative budget exchanges taxing wealthy corporations for selling off our city’s debt at 9 cents on the dollar to predatory collectors, legalizes video gambling, sells parts of our city to advertisers, and was balanced through questionable assumptions and speculative projections that we’ll be reckoning with in just a few months. I believe it is possible to create a transparent budget backed by real numbers that is aligned with our values and does not put the tax burden on the backs of working Chicagoans, but that's not what this budget was. That's why I voted No.
There is, however, some good news to share as we enter 2026:
The budget that passed protects year-round youth employment and the Crisis Assistance Response & Engagement (CARE) Program. These initiatives were dreams just a few years ago, and we’ve worked together to make them a reality.
We passed a historic Social Media Tax to fund mental health services, the first in the nation, and an example of what the future of innovative and progressive revenue can look like.
The budget that passed does NOT include cuts to Chicago Public Library acquisitions or staff vacancies, thanks to the many neighbors and advocates who reached out to demand better for our library system. The budget was corrected to protect our libraries because we pushed back.
Despite the deep flaws of this alternative budget, I’m proud of these wins. I also know that we can do better. I supported the executive orders to cap police overtime and prohibit the sale of medical debt to private collectors. I’ve also joined my colleagues in calling for a full audit of the Chicago Police Department which currently receives more than 50% of the city’s corporate fund. Finally, I worked with my colleagues to pass a resolution to work with Springfield on more progressive and equitable revenue sources at the State level. For long-term structural change, we need more State and City collaboration.
As this work continues, I will continue to be your independent voice in City Council fighting hard for all our neighbors in the 48th Ward.
Yours in Community,
Leni Manaa-Hoppenworth
48th Ward Alderwoman