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Chicago only big city where mayor presides over City Council and has veto power
Chicago only big city where mayor presides over City Council and has veto power
Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson is a national outlier in the power he has compared to mayors in other big cities.
REPORTS
5 ways state law empowers the Chicago Teachers Union and how it can change
5 ways state law empowers the Chicago Teachers Union and how it can change
The union's extraordinary power in Chicago is propped up by actions in Springfield.
Chicago gets $16.6B budget after mayor refuses to veto
Chicago gets $16.6B budget after mayor refuses to veto
Chicago avoided a city shutdown when Mayor Brandon Johnson accepted the alternative budget aldermen passed despite his wishes.
Chicago adopts $16.6B budget, adds $535M in taxes
Chicago adopts $16.6B budget, adds $535M in taxes
Chicago aldermen for the first time pushed through their own budget, rejecting the mayor’s effort to impose a job-killing head tax. There are other taxes.
Chicago business activity skid hits two years
Chicago business activity skid hits two years
A barometer of business health shows Chicago’s decline worsened in November 2025.
5 ways to end Chicago’s stagnant growth
5 ways to end Chicago’s stagnant growth
High taxes, red tape and fiscal mismanagement have stalled Chicago’s economy, but smart reform could get it growing again.
Vallas: Legislation buys CTA time to fix itself, but will it?
Vallas: Legislation buys CTA time to fix itself, but will it?
New taxes buy the Chicago Transit Authority some time, but state lawmakers failed fix anything that led to the crisis. Here are three ways city leaders can fix the CTA.
Chicago-area Transit crisis: 7 principles to guide Illinois transportation reform
Chicago-area Transit crisis: 7 principles to guide Illinois transportation reform
Transit reform can support Illinois riders and taxpayers. These seven principles outline a path to affordability, accountability and efficiency.
Chicago loosens granny flat rules, still lags California
Chicago loosens granny flat rules, still lags California
Chicago just expanded where accessory dwelling units can be built, but California’s sweeping reforms show how far the city still has to go.
Unused office space could mean more Chicago housing
Unused office space could mean more Chicago housing
New York City has seen success in converting office space into residences. Chicago should do the same.
Fines per Chicagoan more than triples since 1996 to prop up city budget
Fines per Chicagoan more than triples since 1996 to prop up city budget
Chicago’s 2025 budget needed $345 million in fines, forfeitures and penalties. It was $99 million 30 years ago. What will the new budget extract from residents?
Chicago Forward 2026: A pro-growth plan to end city budget deficits
Chicago Forward 2026: A pro-growth plan to end city budget deficits
Chicago’s $1.15 billion projected budget gap is the latest in a decades-long string of structural deficits. Making Chicago’s high taxes worse is not the solution.