Chicago City Wire

New Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson has signed off on his first series of executive orders, including a pair to boost youth employment and establish a new deputy mayor for Immigrant, Migrant, and Refugee Rights; a City press release said this week.

“As your Mayor, it’s my duty to take bold, immediate action to build a better, stronger, safer Chicago,” Johnson said in the release. “My first executive orders as Mayor of Chicago instruct our government to boost youth employment, so all young Chicagoans can reach their potential across our city, in addition to re-organizing the work of the Deputy Mayors to ensure that my cabinet reflects our top priorities for achieving community safety, supporting new arrivals, and protecting and expanding the right to organize. Together, we will collaborate to build a stronger city for all of us.”

Johnson's youth employment executive order "instructs the Office of Budget and Management to prepare an analysis of all resources in the City’s FY2023 budget that are available to fund youth employment and enrichment programs," including county, state or federal funding.

The order also instructs the deputy mayor of Education and Health and Human Services "to lead all city departments and agencies in identifying additional entry-level jobs that would be suitable for young people."

Staff are instructed to work year-round on collaborating with companies and nonprofit organizations on summer internships and other opportunities for youth employment.

The Executive Order on Community Safety includes recruiting 200 new detectives, strengthening the enforcement of Red Flag laws and performing a full efficiency audit. It also establishes a Chicago Transit Authority violence intervention program, a new police department anti-gun trafficker initiative and a new missing persons initiative.

Additionally, Johnson issued an executive order that establishes a deputy mayor for Labor Relations who will "allow coordination to foster, promote, and develop the welfare of the wage earners, job seekers, and retirees of Chicago, in addition to improving working conditions, advancing new job opportunities for employment, and protecting workers’ rights," the release said.