Chicago City Wire

Mayor Brandon Johnson's allies have shelved a proposal that would require City Council oversight of $400 million in federal coronavirus-relief funding. The Mayor stated to reporters that his support for blocking the ordinance was not about allowing the City Council to oversee spending.

"This is not about oversight," Johnson asserted. "This is about whether or not I get to fulfill my responsibility as an executive." 

The proposal, co-sponsored by Aldermen Bill Conway and Scott Waguespack, sought to mandate the mayor's office to obtain City Council approval before spending more than $1 million in federal COVID relief funds. According to Waguespack, speaking to the Sun-Times, this proposed ordinance was intended as a mechanism to ensure City Hall adheres to federal guidelines when spending coronavirus funding.

"It’s about making sure that the U.S. Treasury would allow for these funds to be spent directly on migrants," Waguespack clarified.

At present, no guidelines have been issued by the U.S. Treasury Department regarding the use of coronavirus grant money towards addressing the city's ongoing migrant crisis. Under Mayor Johnson's influence, the ordinance was referred to the City Council Rules Committee by Vice Mayor Alderman Walter Burnett. This committee is typically where proposals are sent without further discussion.

On X, Alderman Conway expressed gratitude towards over 20 alderpeople who supported the spending oversight ordinance. These included Aldermen Brian Hopkins, Anthony Beale, Peter Chico, Julia Ramirez, Marty Quinn, Raymond Lopez, David Moore, Derrick Curtis, Matthew O’Shea, and Jeanette Taylor among others.

Despite apparent setbacks, Conway remains hopeful. He has taken to social media urging Chicagoans to review this list and encourage their alderman not to support Johnson administration's stance on the spending oversight proposal.

"This is the list *so far* - If your Alder isn’t on here, don’t necessarily assume they feel the need to carry the administration’s water, we may just have not gotten a chance to speak one on one yet," Conway wrote on social media.