Chicago City Council got ‘limited’ help from agency to make budget decisions: report
CHICAGO - A key agency tasked with providing members of the Chicago City Council with important financial information to craft and manage the city government’s budget failed to do so consistently, according to a new report from the Office of Inspector General.
What we know:
The new report alleges that the City Council Office of Financial Analysis (COFA) "has not consistently provided independent financial analysis to City Council."
The watchdog’s report also alleged that the financial reports COFA provided between 2015 and 2023 were "untimely and inconsistent." In some cases, the OIG said, COFA did not provide an analysis of a proposed budget until after members of the City Council had already voted on it.
COFA was created in 2013 to provide alders with "independent, nonpartisan" information to make key budget decisions. The "shortfall" in such information hinders the ability of aldermen to craft the city’s budget every year, which last year included $16.7 billion to pay for services and pay the salaries of more than 31,000 workers.
Without information from COFA, City Council members sometimes rely on their own staff to analyze the city's finances or speak directly with heads of city departments. That risks budget decisions being made based on inconsistent information among City Council members, the OIG's report argues.
Typically, during each year’s budget cycle, the mayor presents a budget proposal, which alders then debate and can vote on. Last year, a group of aldermen opposed to Mayor Brandon Johnson’s proposed head tax on large corporations to help fill a more than $1 billion budget gap came up with their own budget plan, which they successfully passed.
City Council members in years past have argued that they needed more information before voting on matters of great financial importance. One example often cited when alders had limited information was before a 2008 vote to lease the city’s parking meters to a private company for more than $1.1 billion. Many alders and observers have criticized that vote as one of the worst financial decisions by city leaders in recent history.
COFA was modeled after similar agencies in other large cities like New York City, Pittsburgh, and San Diego, according to the OIG’s report. Even Congress has its own Budget Office to perform a similar role for lawmakers.
What they're saying:
The OIG made multiple recommendations to improve COFA’s process, including:
- Working with the mayor’s Office of Management and Budget and other city departments to get "timely and unhindered access to the data, databases, and reports it needs to fulfill its mission of conducting independent financial analysis."
- Conducting a review of staffing to see where it needs additional staff and resources. COFA's budget has allowed for only three to five staff members annually since it was established.
- Working with the City Council to "define the scope and nature of its analysis to ensure its reports "consistently provide value to the City Council."
COFA responded to the watchdog’s findings, saying, "since 2025 it has focused on actively addressing many of the challenges reflected in the report, including issues related to analytical quality, timeliness, and consistency with [Municipal Code of Chicago] requirements." COFA also stated that, while it has made progress, it "recognize[s] continued improvement is essential and remain[s] focused on advancing this work."