Chicago City Wire

Democrat Paul Vallas, a mayoral candidate and the former CEO of Chicago Public Schools (CPS), expressed criticism of Mayor Lori Lightfoot's budget.

"After $877 million in city & mayor-controlled schools property taxes & $6 billion in COVID funding since 2019, Lightfoot’s new budget will leave next Mayor with city budget deficit ranging from $500M to $1B & the CPS with a deficit of over $600M. #Timeforchange2023"

Lightfoot said in a series of tweets, "With the passage of this #ChiBudget23, we have continued to take undeniable steps toward securing the City’s financial future and transform our residents’ lives and neighborhoods. Thanks to this hard work, by fiscal year 2023, we will have reduced our outstanding debt by $747M. Our current fiscal stability allows us to make these transformative investments in a fiscally responsible way. Our revenues have improved so much that we’re able to go beyond making the minimum payment on our pension credit card and can now begin paying down the balance. I am also happy to report that our economy—the most diverse in the nation—has come roaring back, continuing the recovery that we saw in 2021. I will never be satisfied until Chicago is the safest big city in the country. And I know you share my resolve. In order to keep taking steps toward that important destination, we must continue to fund public safety efforts and other community safety pillars."

The Chicago City Council passed Lightfoot's $16.4 billion 2023 budget by a vote of 32-18 after a two-hour debate, the Chicago Sun-Times reported. One critic of the budget was retiring Ald. Harry Osterman, who was angry that of the $85 million included in the 2022 budget for violence prevention, only $5 million had been spent. “It’s inexcusable that we did not spend more of that money," Osterman said. "We have to put that money on the ground in communities. We have to do it with a sense of urgency. We don’t have the luxury to wait and use this money glacially over the next five-to-ten years." Several aldermen expressed their belief that Lightfoot's budget does not go far enough to address the droves of police officers leaving the Chicago Police Department. CPD saw 949 officers retire from January through September of this year.

Vallas served as CEO of Chicago Public Schools (CPS) from 1995 to 2001, NBC reported. He then headed school districts in Philadelphia, Louisiana, and Connecticut.