The Chicago Transit Authority’s 2026 budget includes scenarios dependent on state funding along with a 25-cent fare hike on bus and rail.
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.
New York City has seen success in converting office space into residences. Chicago should do the same.
Chicago homeowners on the South and West Sides are bracing for huge property tax hikes, driven by surging assessments and government spending tied to pensions.
Prices for DoorDash, Uber, Ticketmaster and Illinois tolls might go up now to cover $1.5 billion for Illinois transit agencies. A real estate transfer tax for homes in the Chicago suburbs is also on the table.
Chicago Transit Authority ridership is still below pre-pandemic levels. Crime and a budget shortfall make matters worse, but there are cost-effective ways to make it safer.
The Chicago Teachers Union president demands the “wealthy” pay their fair share but doesn’t apply that same principle to herself.
Chicago Transit Authority violent crime hit its second-highest level since 2015, while the arrest rate dropped. CTA crime is threatening federal funding.
The Illinois Municipal Retirement Fund reported a 95.8% funded ratio for 2024. Other Illinois plans would benefit from following its practices.
As veto session begins and power goes back to the Democratic majority state legislature, the consequences of a single-party state are more evident than ever.
Former Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan’s 7.5-year federal prison sentence started Oct. 13 for his role in a bribery scheme involving Commonwealth Edison, Illinois’ largest utility.
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’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.