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Chicago - The deadline to close Chicago's nearly one billion dollar budget gap is approaching and public health advocates believe they have a solution – reallocate vacancy funds from the Chicago Police Department budget.
This year's budget allocated $170 million over 1,100 vacancies. Community leaders are calling for those funds to be redirected to fill gaps in the public health programming, youth job initiatives and the city's guaranteed-income pilot program. The mayor's office says cutting the income program would save the city 30 million dollars alone.
Aldermen will begin committee meetings to lay the groundwork for a budget vote as early as Dec. 13. Johnson's latest budget proposal includes a 68.5 million dollar property tax hike.
The Chicago City Council has until the end of the year to approve a budget for 2025.