CITY HALL — Mayor Brandon Johnson is backing away from his previous support for the possibility of starting a city-owned grocery store, but will consider the possibility of introducing New York-style congestion pricing in downtown Chicago. He said Tuesday that he is positive.
In a brief interview with Block Club on Tuesday afternoon, Johnson also looked ahead to what he hopes to achieve this year, if he can find the support he needs from an increasingly recalcitrant city council, while also looking ahead to the long and often bitter 2025. He defended his response to the budget process. .
The mayor said his 2025 goals include expanding signature youth employment programs, building more affordable housing, and increasing public health resources such as strengthening the 911 response model in which mental health professionals respond to nonviolent calls. This includes the addition of.
But with an intrepid city council still licking its wounds from last year’s budgeting season, implementing and funding the next steps in Johnson’s policies could be difficult.
In a speech Tuesday, the mayor largely dismissed criticism of his administration and budget, which passed 27-23 after six weeks of debate and narrowly avoided a city government shutdown.
“More voices are coming through, and that’s a good thing. And maybe there’s also a benefit for the middle child growing up, because even with varying degrees of expression and desire, Because it’s not overwhelming,” Johnson said.
“We didn’t lay anyone off, we didn’t furlough anyone, we didn’t cut services. As you know, previous administrations relied on tactics like that. We were able to avoid it and stick to our values.”
Mayor withdraws support for municipal grocery stores
In September 2023, the Mayor’s Office announced that it was considering the idea of starting a municipal grocery store to address food inequality in the city.
Some regions in the South and West have struggled to access fresh food for decades, a problem exacerbated by the closure of large numbers of supermarkets in recent years.
Johnson said in a statement that a long-standing pattern of disinvestment on the South and West Sides has created “unequal access to grocery retail across Chicago.” “Every Chicagoan deserves to live near a convenient, affordable and healthy grocery store.”
If the idea goes through, Chicago would become the nation’s largest city with a publicly funded grocery store.
But this week’s Tribune reported that the Johnson administration last year failed to apply for state grants to help set up grocery stores, even though it had said it had long planned to do so. It is said that
Prime Minister Boris Johnson said Tuesday that’s because his government is backing away from establishing public grocery stores, at least “for now.”
Instead, the mayor said the city would partner with local grocers to open stores in food deserts, but did not provide details.
“Stakeholders came to me and appreciated what we were doing, and they said, ‘Mayor, please consider doing it in a way that works with businesses that share the same vision. I want it.” And that’s what we’re studying,” he said.
What is the congestion charge in Chicago?
New York City on Sunday launched its long-awaited congestion pricing program, which will automatically charge drivers who drive below 60th Street in Manhattan.
The controversial model aims to reduce traffic in downtown Manhattan while raising money for public transit.
Could a similar program work for Chicago’s Loop? The idea has been floated before, and on Tuesday Johnson said the city would “consider” charging tolls, especially from drivers who don’t live in the city. He said he believed it was the right thing to do.
“We’re really working hard on how we deal with congestion and, of course, how we generate revenue, especially with the individuals who are making the most of the city’s resources, but who don’t necessarily live here. “I think we can have that conversation. I’m all for that conversation,” he said.
Johnson’s comments came a day after a new study found that Chicago’s traffic is tied with New York City as the second-worst of any city on the planet, after Istanbul, Turkey. In 2024, the average Chicago resident spent 102 hours stuck in traffic, according to a study published by traffic analysis firm INRIX.
Mass deportations expected in Chicago under Trump administration
Last month, President-elect Donald Trump’s next “border czar,” Tom Homan, promised that under the new president’s administration, illegal immigrants in Chicago and other places would face mass deportations and urged mayors to continue “containing and hiding” asylum seekers. He said he would prosecute Johnson. Seekers.
“We’re going to end up arresting people who are far above our priorities because of (Johnson’s) actions,” Homan said at a Dec. 9 event hosted by the Chicago Republican Party. He added that he plans to sue sanctuary cities that don’t cooperate with Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
Chicago, Cook County and the state of Illinois all have sanctuary laws in place, meaning local law enforcement officers are not allowed to coordinate with federal immigration officials. However, this does not mean that ICE agents cannot enter and operate within the city.
Prime Minister Johnson on Tuesday reiterated his support for making Chicago a “welcoming city” and urged President Trump to pass immigration reform legislation.
“Our local law enforcement agencies are not going to involve federal agents in any way. We’re going to uphold the law here in Chicago,” he said. “You control the House, the Senate, the judiciary, the executive branch. You pass laws, right? We haven’t had a substantive immigration reform policy in over 30 years.”
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