Mayor Emanuel Presents Proposed 2014 Budget

Deborah Bayliss | As of Friday, November 1, 2013

Mayor Rahm Emanuel presented an $8.7 billion 2014 proposed budget last week that he said promotes continued job growth, improves public safety and the quality of life for Chicago residents.
Mayor Rahm Emanuel presented an $8.7 billion 2014 proposed budget last week that he said promotes continued job growth, improves public safety and the quality of life for Chicago residents.

Mayor Rahm Emanuel presented an $8.7 billion 2014 proposed budget last week that he said promotes continued job growth, improves public safety and the quality of life for Chicago residents.

“To balance our budget for the past three years without any increase in property, sales or gas taxes was only possible by changing the way Chicago does its business,” Mayor Emanuel said via a released statement. “We have reduced our structural deficit by making city government smaller, smarter, and simpler. We have coupled necessary reforms with improved services so city government works better for all our residents.”

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"As the federal government continues to slash funding for children, we'll keep our priorities straight by maintaining current spending and expanding the most successful after-school and summer programming," said Chicago Mayor Emanuel during presentation of his proposed 2014 budget.

In 2011, the City faced a projected $790 million deficit for2014. In the last two budgets, that structural deficit has been cut by more than half, to $339 million, and like the 2013 budget, the proposed 2014 budget makes a significant investment in the education, health and safety of Chicago children, according to the Mayor’s office. 

“As the federal government continues to slash funding for children, we’ll keep our priorities straight by maintaining current spending and expanding the most successful after-school and summer programming,” said Mayor Emanuel.

Over the last three years, Chicago has lost more than $11 million in federal funds for after school and summer programs, and suffered a $7 million cut to Head Start due to the sequester. The proposed 2014 budget establishes the “Children’s Fund,” a protected fund supported largely by an anticipated $65 million to $70 million in revenue from children’s safety zones that will allow the city to not only maintain current funding for children’s programs, but will allow:

· $13 million in afterschool opportunities for nearly 16,000 children.

· $14.5 million in summer jobs for more than 12,000 youth, more than doubling the number of children served by City-funded programs since 2011.

· $11 million in early education opportunities, part of a three-year, $36 million investment announced last year that will provide early education to 5,000 kids. 

The budget also includes:

· Increasing funding for graffiti removal, rodent control, tree trimming, tree removal and tree planting.

· Expanding the microlending initiative in partnership with the City Treasurer’s Office to help support 300 businesses by 2016.

· Launching a pilot program that will serve 500 working families and will pay out Earned Income Tax Credit in advanced quarterly payments providing an option for families who need money before tax season to make ends meet.

· Adding seven new Family Net Centers to provide residents with training in technology skills such as using email, online banking, online research, and accessing government services.

· Funding for the Chicago Police Department to hire officers.

On Monday, Mayor Emanuel signed an Executive Order that formalizes a practice to build the City’s “Rainy Day” fund – something the administration has done each of the past three years. 

The Executive Order allows the budget director to identify the amount of unreserved fund balance, and transfer at least 10 percent of that balance into the City’s reserves. The 2014 proposed budget invests $5 million into the fund which follows a $15 million investment made in the 2013 budget, and a $20 million investment made in 2012.

Mayor Emanuel cautioned that the City faces a $600 million pension cliff in 2015.

“Should Springfield fail to pass pension reform for Chicago soon, we will be right back here in Council early next year to start work on the city’s 2015 budget – a budget that will either double city property taxes or eliminate the vital services that people need,” said Mayor Emanuel. “Without reform, we cannot make the critical investments in our future, and the future of our children.  Without reform, we cannot be the city that we want to be.”

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