Chicago gets $16.6B budget after mayor refuses to veto

By Brad Weisenstein, Ravi Mishra

12/23/2025

Chicago avoided a city shutdown when Mayor Brandon Johnson accepted the alternative budget aldermen passed despite his wishes.

TAGS: Chicago, taxes

Chicago adopts $16.6B budget, adds $535M in taxes

By Ravi Mishra

12/20/2025

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.

TAGS: Chicago, taxes

Cook County property taxes funding pensions more than service

By LyLena Estabine

12/15/2025

Cook County homeowners face rising property taxes. Three-fourths of that money is going to police and fire pensions instead of services.

TAGS: Chicago, Cook County, pensions, property taxes

Cook County property tax bills finally getting mailed, due Dec. 15

By Patrick Andriesen

11/10/2025

Cook County leaders announced the second installment of property tax bills will be mailed by Nov. 14 with a Dec. 15 due date.

TAGS: Chicago, property taxes

Mayor Johnson’s record-setting $1 billion TIF surplus highlights issues

By Bryce Hill

10/24/2025

Chicago Tax Increment Finance “surpluses” have increased more than ninefold in the past decade.

TAGS: Chicago, TIF: Tax Increment Financing

Mayor Brandon Johnson’s 2026 budget targets social media, corporate “head tax”

By Dylan Sharkey

10/16/2025

Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson’s 2026 budget proposal includes a per-user tax on social media companies and a per-employee fee on businesses. The proposal does not include a property tax hike and supports the elimination of the grocery tax.

TAGS: Brandon Johnson, Chicago

Fines per Chicagoan more than triples since 1996 to prop up city budget

By Patrick Andriesen

10/13/2025

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?

TAGS: budget, Chicago

Just 4-in-5 businesses from 2015 likely still open in your Chicago neighborhood

By Patrick Andriesen, Jon Josko

09/26/2025

Chicago lost nearly 1-in-5 businesses between 2015 and 2024, translating to nearly 11,200 fewer businesses operating in the city. Of the city’s 98 neighborhoods, 80 lost 10% or more of their businesses. Mag Mile lost 41% of its stores.

TAGS: Chicago, property taxes, small business

Peoria Heights mayor vetoes grocery tax as Chicago considers it

By Brad Weisenstein

09/16/2025

Peoria Heights’ mayor vetoed a grocery tax, saying the village would not balance its budget on the backs of families at the grocery checkout. Now Chicago is considering taking $73.5 million through the tax.

TAGS: Chicago, grocery tax, taxes

Pritzker further undermines Chicago police, fire pensions

By Jerry Barmore

08/07/2025

Gov. J.B. Pritzker had a chance to stop a bill putting taxpayers on the hook for $11.1 billion in inflated pension benefits for Chicago police and firefighters. He blew it. Taxpayers will be paying the price for decades.

TAGS: Chicago, JB Pritzker, municipal pensions

Chicago

Chicago gets $16.6B budget after mayor refuses to veto

Chicago adopts $16.6B budget, adds $535M in taxes

Cook County property taxes funding pensions more than service

Cook County property tax bills finally getting mailed, due Dec. 15

Mayor Johnson’s record-setting $1 billion TIF surplus highlights issues

Mayor Brandon Johnson’s 2026 budget targets social media, corporate “head tax”

Fines per Chicagoan more than triples since 1996 to prop up city budget

Just 4-in-5 businesses from 2015 likely still open in your Chicago neighborhood

Peoria Heights mayor vetoes grocery tax as Chicago considers it

Pritzker further undermines Chicago police, fire pensions

Pathway to a Profession: How Apprenticeships Could Reshape Illinois’ Beauty Service Industry

Report Archive

Diana Graham

Process for unionizing non-state workers raises red flags

CBS Chicago: Illinois’ highest-paid superintendent receives $400K per year to oversee 1,200 students