Overview
- Ten aldermen scheduled a rare City Council meeting for Monday, Nov. 10, to question EY consultants about their cost-cutting recommendations, with 26 members needed for a quorum.
- The mayor’s office is pushing for a Budget Committee subject-matter hearing on Friday that it says would make the special meeting unnecessary.
- EY’s review outlines $530 million to $1.4 billion in potential savings and revenue, including up to $103 million from benefits changes, $111 million from procurement reforms, and up to $257 million from organizational changes.
- Backers of the meeting say only a few EY proposals made it into the mayor’s plan and press for alternatives to a proposed $21-per-employee head tax, as a council majority has requested consultant testimony.
- Johnson’s team says the budget contains about $200 million in savings, including roughly $80 million from EY ideas, while critics warn reliance on one-time maneuvers and borrowing could risk a credit-rating downgrade.