The Chicago City Council passed the city budget today with a 49 - 1 vote. Ald. Billy Ocasio (26th) cast the only dissenting vote. Mayor Daley’s hard-times budget will cut no more than 770 city jobs, down from the nearly 1000 originally proposed. The plan will also raise parking taxes, raise amusement taxes and charge fees on private dumpsters. more ›

The Chicago City Council is preparing to vote on Mayor Daley’s 2009 budget plan today and you can watch a live stream of the council meeting through the city clerk’s website. The Daley administration hopes to close a $469 million budget shortfall by cutting no more than 770 city jobs, enacting more furlough days, and also raising a slew of taxes, which includes increasing the daily garage parking tax to $3 from $2.25 and increasing the amusement tax by one percent. The Daley administration also wants to impose an annual fee on private dumpsters for businesses and larger condos. That measure is estimated to bring in $8 million next year. The Denver boot will also be used on cars with two unpaid tickets that are a year or more old. Earlier this week, a deal was reached between the city's labor unions and Mayor Daley that will reduce the number of city worker layoffs. more ›

City council hearings began yesterday on Mayor Daley's newly-released 2009 city budget, and our aldermen don't seem to be very happy about many of its proposals. Daley's plan to slash police force hiring was a hotly contested item, as well as the scheme to boot cars after two tickets instead of three - a projected $48 million revenue generator. more ›

The excrement hit the fan today when Mayor Daley unveiled his proposed budget to the city council. Daley and his team hope that this new budget (check out the highlights here) will help close an estimated $470 million shortfall by laying off 929 city workers (hey, they could always go into PR) eliminating more than a thousand vacant jobs, partially shutting down the government near holidays, raising the parking and amusement taxes, doing away with the Fire Department's Segway patrols (seriously?), doubling library fines, and privatizing 35,000 parking meters. more ›