It’s Election Day, Chicago. Here’s what you need to know

By Dylan Sharkey

02/28/2023

It’s time for Chicagoans to vote in the race between incumbent Mayor Lori Lightfoot and eight challengers. Here’s what you need to know about voting today.

TAGS: Chicago, Election Day, Lori Lightfoot

Lightfoot cancels property tax hike in announcing new budget

By Dylan Sharkey

10/03/2022

Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot unveiled her 2023 budget proposal and deleted a $42.7 million property tax hike originally tied to inflation.

TAGS: budget, Lori Lightfoot

Lightfoot’s $42.7M property tax hike goes just to pensions

By Dylan Sharkey

08/12/2022

Chicago property tax bills are on the rise again, thanks to the city’s massive pension debt. Mayor Lori Lightfoot compared the latest property tax hike to additional toppings at lunch.

TAGS: Lori Lightfoot, pensions, property taxes

Lightfoot’s play to keep Bears could cost up to $2,000 per family

By Dylan Sharkey, Bryce Hill

07/28/2022

The Chicago Bears are considering a move to Arlington Heights, but Mayor Lori Lightfoot is pitching a last-ditch effort to revamp Soldier Field. Depending on the option, the tax hit per household ranges from $833 to $2,036.

TAGS: Chicago, Chicago Bears, Lori Lightfoot, Soldier Field, taxes

Lightfoot’s limos get 5 speed camera tickets, pay none

By Patrick Andriesen

07/28/2022

Mayor Lori Lightfoot just cried ‘safety’ in fending off an effort to curb the speed cameras that issued more tickets than Chicago has residents. But her travel detail has its own need for speed: 3 speed cam tickets and 2 warnings.

TAGS: Chicago, Lori Lightfoot, mayor, speed cameras, speed limit

Chicago aldermen fail to repeal Lightfoot’s $80-million speed camera policy

By Patrick Andriesen

07/20/2022

Chicago aldermen lacked the votes to repeal Mayor Lori Lightfoot’s lower speed camera ticketing threshold responsible for nearly $80 million in fines.

TAGS: Chicago, Lori Lightfoot, speed cameras

Chicago speed cameras ticket 3.8 million drivers since Lightfoot cut limits

By Patrick Andriesen

07/19/2022

Chicago’s speed cameras issued 3.8 million tickets since Mayor Lori Lightfoot lowered the threshold before a citation is written. That is like everyone in Chicago getting 1.4 tickets in 16 months.

TAGS: Chicago, Lori Lightfoot, speed cameras

Lightfoot policy change could quadruple Chicago property tax hike in 2023

By Dylan Sharkey

07/19/2022

Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot’s decision to tie property taxes to inflation in 2020 is coming back to bite taxpayers.

TAGS: Chicago, inflation, Lori Lightfoot, property taxes

1M Chicago speed camera tickets fail to stop record traffic deaths

By Patrick Andriesen

07/18/2022

Chicago reported more traffic deaths in the first six months of 2022 than in any year since 2017, despite speed cameras issuing over 1 million tickets – as many tickets as Chicago has households. Two-thirds of the fines were for speeding 6-10 mph.

TAGS: Chicago, Lori Lightfoot, speed cameras, ticketing

Lightfoot allies delay speed camera vote

By Dylan Sharkey

06/24/2022

The Chicago City Council blocked a vote to repeal the lower speed camera ticket threshold, responsible for $59 million in tickets last year. Mayor Lori Lightfoot now has until July 20 to save a policy that issued more tickets than Chicago has residents.

TAGS: Chicago, Lori Lightfoot, red light cameras, speed cameras