Budgeting for a Sustainable Chicago

To the “Budget Accountability Caucus,”

Let’s be clear. Chicagoans deserve a sustainable way of life, and a city council that will boldly invest in the future of our city. Parents deserve fully funded public schools, not the insecurity of school closures. Families deserve to afford a home and stay in it, not the fear of being displaced. Workers deserve stable public-sector jobs, not the anxiety of mass layoffs. Our neighbors deserve reliable city services that meet their social needs, not the vulnerability of being left behind.

But such a sustainable way of life requires a sustainable form of governing. Again and again, the City of Chicago finds itself in a financial crisis. From the 1980 insolvency of Chicago Public Schools to the 2026 budget crisis, we find ourselves in all too familiar situations. Faced with a crisis, we have a choice: build a long-term, sustainable form of city government or continue down a dark road of short-term solutions. Chicago’s growth should work for all Chicagoans. We need a fairer way to generate revenue, spread the benefits of our prosperity, and make long-term investments in every neighborhood. Right now, Chicago’s city council should be welcoming solutions that ease the burden on everyday Chicagoans, not further threatening to take away their livelihoods and services from their neighbors. 

Unfortunately, our City’s Budget Accountability Caucus (BAC) has made an unsustainable choice. Closing an $882.4 million budget gap is not insignificant for our city. But cutting costs isn’t a viable long-term solution for building a city government that consistently and reliably delivers a sustainable way of life for ordinary working Chicagoans. In a state with a regressive tax system and extreme wealth inequality, what our city desperately needs is greater revenue from the billionaires and corporations that profit from an economy fueled by the labor of working-class Chicagoans. We have a choice: to tax the rich or austerity. 

Instead of taxing the wealthy to provide a sustainable revenue source to meet the needs of ordinary working Chicagoans, the BAC has chosen austerity. Instead of marginally taxing massive corporations, the BAC has chosen a path that puts public-sector workers at risk. Rather than make a small dent in billionaires’ net worth, the BAC has chosen to prey on working-class people’s debt. Rather than standing with working people, the BAC has chosen to stand with the interests of the city’s wealthy elite. They propose an organized abandonment of our communities.

But we will not make that same choice. 

Chicagoans deserve better. Taxing the rich in an era of extreme wealth inequality is the only viable long-term solution for delivering the city and the communities we deserve. Our city deserves progressive revenue streams to foster more sustainable ways of life. That is why we are running for your city council. 

We are a part of a political movement that stands with working people. A movement unafraid to challenge wealthy elites who care more about profits than our neighbors’ lives. A movement that will demand that corporations invest in the lives of the working people who fuel this city. A movement led by people who fight, live, and work alongside ordinary working people. A movement that believes we deserve a budget that prioritizes growth for all of Chicago. Together, we will build a sustainable Chicago.

Sincerely,

The Sustainable Budget Coalition

• 2nd Ward Challenger, Richard Omoniyi-Shoyoola
• 3rd Ward Challenger, Raheem Uqdah
• 34th Ward Challenger, Nathan Bean
• 44th Ward Challenger, Kalen Luciano

For questions: Please email [email protected]