Welcome to Newswire — your weekly guide to Chicago government, civic action and what action we can take to make our city great, featuring public meeting coverage by City Bureau’s Documenters.

Quote/Term of the Week

Executive order / noun

Official directives or commands from the Mayor to agencies in the executive branch. These orders generally concern the implementation or enforcement of rules, policies and procedures which have the force of law. (Source: Office of the City Clerk).

Ex: Mayor Brandon Johnson signed an executive order blocking federal agents from using  city property as staging grounds for immigration raids.

Let’s run it back

Happy New Year, readers! Despite our back-and-forth budget season, the city of Chicago emerged from 2025 with a budget for 2026.

Last time we talked, City Council had just passed a revenue plan featuring a myriad of controversial items, including an increased off-premise liquor tax, legalized video gambling and slot machines, and a small property tax increase to avoid cutting more jobs at the Chicago Public Library. The tax comes out  to an additional $12 per year for the average homeowner. Days later, alders passed a full budget by a 30-18 vote, cementing the alternative plan that gained favor over Mayor Brandon Johnson’s proposals.

Johnson slammed the revenue plan for leaning on fines and debt collection targeting “everyday” and “poor and working Chicagoans.” One prong of the plan would generate $89 million by collecting outstanding fees and fines from the city’s ambulances, utility bills, red-light cameras and more, according to WTTW. The mayor also has repeatedly warned that the $16.6 billion budget has a $163 million deficit, which could lead to layoffs and other emergency cuts.

The mayor did not endorse or veto the alternative budget, allowing it to go into effect Jan. 1. Instead  he signed two executive orders. The “Fair Recovery” order protects Chicagoans from financial hardships and tactics associated with debt collection agencies, according to The TRiiBE. The order specifically stops the city from selling city-administered medical debt to private entities.

The second executive order caps overtime spending by the Chicago Police Department. The latest budget doubled the department’s overtime budget to $200 million — a figure we easily surpassed last year. Now, CPD can’t go over that figure without City Council approval. 

Notably, the 2026 budget also includes borrowing $283.3 million to pay for Chicago police misconduct lawsuits, which have cost taxpayers hundreds of millions of dollars in recent years.

What you can do:

Catch up on budget-related news:

  • Chicago’s 2026 budget takes effect, forcing Chicagoans to pay more for shopping bags, Uber rides, booze, online gaming — but grocery tax eliminated | WTTW

  • City Council passes 2026 budget: Here are the major fees and changes | Block Club Chicago

  • Mayor Johnson braces City Hall for possible midyear layoffs | Sun-Times

  • Chicago to weigh paying $875K to settle claims tied to police handling of George Floyd protests | Sun-Times

  • Mayor Johnson answers listeners' questions on city finances, teen curfews, Chicago Bears | WBEZ

A version of this story was first published in the January 14, 2026 issue of the Newswire, an email newsletter that is your weekly guide to Chicago government, civic action and what we can do to make our city great. You can sign up for the weekly newsletter here.

Have thoughts on what you'd like to see in this feature? Email Civic Editor Dawn Rhodes at dawn@citybureau.org.