Overview
- EY’s lead author told aldermen the $3 million review was not a forensic audit, outlining options like consolidating purchasing and fleet management rather than verified savings.
- Budget Director Annette Guzman said roughly 70 EY recommendations are in motion as part of a multi-year effort, citing near-term savings from real estate consolidation, procurement changes and fleet modernization.
- Civic Federation President Joe Ferguson urged the City Council to reject the plan, and several aldermen pushed to delay a vote to pursue deeper efficiencies.
- The proposal leans on new revenue, including a $21-per-employee monthly head tax projected at about $100 million and a hemp products tax that critics warn could be undercut by federal action, while labor allies publicly backed the approach.
- A record TIF surplus exceeding $1 billion is central to the plan, with an estimated $552 million flowing to CPS, as hearings continue and a Dec. 31 deadline looms for approving the 2026 budget.