City Council to Vote on Emanuel's Budget Today
By Chuck Sudo in News on Nov 16, 2011 2:45PM
It's a Day of Reckoning at City Hall today as aldermen will vote on Mayor Rahm Emanuel's proposed 2012 budget. The budget, littered with rate hikes for city services, fee increases, tax hikes and layoffs, has generated praise for not relying on using discretionary funds to plug gaping holes.
It appears that Emanuel has the 26 votes necessary for passage. 40th Ward Ald. Patrick O'Connor told Chicago News Cooperative, "If it was not going to pass, I would have stayed home." Or in Puerto Vallarta, where he was returning to Chicago from.
Not everyone is happy with the budget. The Chicago Public Library, among other city services, has been spared cuts after aldermen complained to Emanuel. But a majority of the 222 AFSCME jobs targeted for elimination are held by minorities. AFSCME has put on a late-hour push to get aldermen to vote against the budget. Opponents of Emanuel's plan to close half of the city-run mental health clinics staged a 10-hour protest at City Hall yesterday. And more protests are expected today.