RESPONSIBLE BUDGET FOR IMPROVED PUBLIC SERVICES
Our city budget should act as a roadmap for government and illustrate our values by funding our public service priorities - such as education, job creation, public safety, and infrastructure. Unfortunately, in an effort to balance the budget at any cost - we have ended up with a budget that does not reflect our values and instead closed neighborhood schools, shuttered clinics, relied on our police officers working overtime to keep our streets safe, and held a fire sale for our parking meters. We need to develop a more responsible budget that reflects our city's values.
In City Hall, Annisa will fight to:
watch a clip of Annisa speaking about Responsible Budgeting
In City Hall, Annisa will fight to:
- Reform Tax Increment Financing (TIF) watch a clip of Annisa speaking about TIF Reform
- Evaluate TIF districts to determine which are still necessary and if funds have been invested effectively.
- Pass the TIF Surplus Ordinance so unallocated funds are returned to the general account annually.
- Stop Irresponsible Privatization
- Pass Privatization Transparency and Accountability Ordinance to require a cost-benefit analysis of any privatization scheme.
- Empower any alderman to request legislative analysis through the Office of Financial Analysis (COFA).
- Identify Sustainable Revenue Sources
- Pass a luxury tax for nonessential goods and services.
- Consider a congestion tax for the Loop.
- Lobby Springfield for a progressive income tax.
- Streamline Government
- Evaluate the need for Chicago agencies that duplicate other levels of government.
- Change the timing of municipal elections to coincide with the general elections.
- Introduce instant run-off voting.
- Reduce the size of the City Council.
watch a clip of Annisa speaking about Responsible Budgeting