Join us for an evening with the Illinois Answers Project and the National Public Housing Museum exploring barriers to economic opportunity in Illinois and Chicago. At the center of the event are ...

A series of new lobbying priorities announced by Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson at a press conference last week included tweaks to revenues the city currently receives from the state government, but ...

Director of OSPS Cara Smith told BGA Policy that as of February 5, 2025 there were 1,772 defendants monitored electronically. At any given time, typically five or six counties have no one being ...

In a memo sent Friday to the Chicago City Council’s ethics committee, city Inspector General Deborah Witzburg laid out a series of what her office characterizes as obstructions by the city’s law ...

Many of the charges were at the centerpiece of the recent “ComEd Four” trial, in which all four defendants were convicted. The Madigan jury also found him guilty on multiple counts relating to the ...

Our Policy Agenda: The Better Government Association policy team researches, drafts, supports and advocates for legislation that improves transparency, efficiency, equity and accountability in ...

From 2011-2024, the department budget grew at an average rate of 6.1% per year, driven by large investments in the most recent election cycles. Departmental budgets overall increased an average of 6.1 ...

Mayor Lori Lightfoot’s first budget created a new Department of Assets, Information and Services by combining the existing Department of Innovation and Technology (DOIT) and Department of Fleet and ...

Positions Overall The largest net reduction in positions was within the Police Officer position. 118 police officers positions were eliminated, with 64 new positions created for various police officer ...

The Civilian Office of Police Accountability is the city’s investigatory body for several broad categories of police misconduct, including excessive force, death in custody, domestic violence and ...

Appropriations The proposed 2025 city budget contains $18.7 billion in appropriations, up from 2024’s $18.3 billion. Overall Appropriations & Year-to-Year Growth The overall 2.2% increase represents a ...

City of Chicago 2025 Budget Snapshots Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson’s proposed municipal budget for the 2025 fiscal year is scheduled for release on Wed. Oct. 30, with departmental budget hearings ...