The Latest Breaking News from the City Council

Mayor Brandon Johnson’s first budget is expected to sail through the Chicago City Council on Wednesday. It’s balanced in part with $786.5 million in one-time revenues. The search for new revenue sources has been punted to a Council subcommittee.

Mayor Brandon Johnson cast the tie-breaking vote against censure of his former floor leader, accused of “manhandling” Ald. Emma Mitts while trying to prevent her entrance to Council chambers.

The Chicago City Council put off a vote on accepting donated land at 115th and Halsted that would be the site of a migrant tent camp. Also delayed was a vote on whether to put a binding referendum on the March ballot to raise the real estate transfer tax to…

U.S. District Judge Virginia Kendall held Tuesday’s hearing to determine whether Elmhurst University political science professor Constance Mixon should be allowed to testify during ex-Ald. Ed Burke’s trial.

That power came from “scratch my back” Chicago politics. Burke’s clout emanated from the sheer force of his personality, the favors he did for other City Council members and the intimidation he wielded over his colleagues.

The school faces heavy local opposition to its proposal, which was rejected by the city’s Land Use Commission but now is pending before the City Council.

Ald. Michael Rodriguez (22nd), chairman of the City Council’s Committee on Workforce Development, said what’s standing in the way of an agreement is the requirement that employees who don’t take advantage of all of their paid leave days be “paid out” when they leave their jobs.

He entered politics as one of the youngest Chicago City Council members in history and became its most powerful and longest-serving member. Now, he’s fighting to avoid prison.

The ruling would allow Chicago police officers accused of the most serious wrongdoing to bypass the board and take their cases to an arbitrator behind closed doors.