Chicago City Wire

“We need a mayor who will support, and not hinder or defund the police; who will grow the economy, not impose almost a billion dollars in new taxes that will chase away businesses and job in droves; and who has experience in balancing budgets, not one who will learn on the job. A vote for Paul Vallas sends a clear message that Chicago is open for business and will continue to be the global city we all know and love, and the Chamber is proud to endorse him for Mayor of Chicago.” 

Jack Lavin | President & CEO, Chicagoland Chamber of Commerce 

Dear Chicago Business Leaders, 

Today, Chicago is at a crossroads. With high rates of crime, skyrocketing taxes, and a precarious fiscal picture, our city needs strong and balanced leadership now more than ever. The Chicagoland Chamber of Commerce believes that Paul Vallas will deliver on that, and today, we are proud to endorse him for Mayor of Chicago.  

As the voice of the Chicago business community for more than 118 years, the Chicagoland Chamber of Commerce has a responsibility to advocate for a thriving Chicago economy and fight for the employers who provide jobs across every neighborhood in our city. 

To that end, our Chamber, Board, and PAC leadership held multiple meetings with both mayoral candidates, and we believe that Mr. Vallas has the best interest of Chicago’s economy at heart. His experience makes him best suited to address the most pressing concerns of our members, the larger business community, and the entire city of Chicago. 

We need a mayor who will support, and not hinder or defund the police. We need a mayor who will grow the economy, not impose almost a billion dollars in new taxes that will chase away businesses and jobs in droves. And we need a mayor with experience in balancing budgets, not one who will learn on the job. As we continue to grapple with historic inflation, skyrocketing property taxes, and the lingering effects of a once-in-a-century pandemic, we simply cannot afford to drive jobs and economic opportunity out of our city. A vote for Paul Vallas sends a clear message that Chicago is open for business and will continue to be the global city we all know and love. 

On behalf of our entire membership, we thank both candidates for their openness and positive dialogue throughout this process.  

But this is a historic election for our city, and the stakes have never been higher. That is why we are also proud to stand with other leading business groups representing every sector across Chicagoland and the State of Illinois in a joint endorsement, as we all work together to push for strong and economically sensible leadership in the upcoming election. This united show of force underscores the fact that stability of Chicago’s economy hangs in the balance, so we urge you to come together behind Mr. Vallas and his vision for a more secure and prosperous Chicago. 

Thank you to our Board and PAC leadership for guiding this important process and helping us arrive at this critical decision to endorse Paul Vallas for Mayor of Chicago.

Regards,

Jack Lavin

President and CEO

Chicagoland Chamber of Commerce

Original source can be found here.