Amid finance team shakeup, Mayor Brandon Johnson insists City Hall is stable heading into budget season

After losing two of his top three financial advisers in the past week, Mayor Brandon Johnson on Tuesday sought to assure Chicago residents "they have stability" headed into what will likely be another tough budget season at City Hall.

Johnson's budget director, Annette Guzman, abruptly resigned on Monday, less than two months before the mayor is set to release his 2027 budget plan.

Guzman had served as Johnson's budget director since he took office in 2023, but is now the latest of many high-profile exits.

Johnson's acting chief financial officer, Steven Mahr, resigned last week, along with his deputy Noor Shaikh. Mahr had replaced chief financial officer Jill Jaworski, who left in January to become chief finance and administrative officer at Navy Pier.

The mayor's public health commissioner, Dr. Olusimbo Ige, resigned in May. Chicago Police Supt. Larry Snelling retired last month. Garien Gatewood, Johnson's deputy mayor of community safety, was fired in March.

More than a few people have been left scratching their heads at the number of high-profile departures from the mayor's office, and what might be behind them as Johnson has yet to declare if he's running for another term in 2027.

At a City Hall press conference on Tuesday, Johnson insisted city government is stable.

"Transitions happen all the time in administrations, but what's most constant is my presence," Johnson said.

For Chicago residents concerned about stability at the top at City Hall, Johnson insisted "they have stability."

"They have stability in me. Again, one person does not run the operation around here. It' a collection," he said.

There's also a collection of concern for a city facing a likely $1 billion dollar budget shortfall next year, with Johnson losing some of his top budget team members just weeks before he's set to present his 2027 spending plan to the City Council.

"I have never seen this kind of exodus in City Hall," said Ald. Scott Waguespack (32nd).

Waguespack helped craft the city's 2026 budget as part of a City Council coalition that rejected the mayor's budget plan and passed their own over his objections.

"I caught a snippet of what you were asking and others today, and I did not hear a plan for how to move forward, and that should have been first and foremost," Waguespack said.

Johnson was asked Tuesday how he is bracing for this year's budget battle at City Hall compared to last year, now that two of his top three financial advisers have left in the past week.

"We do have continuity. I'm the continuity, right? Again, it's not just one person in one particular position," he said.

Joe Ferguson, president of the Civic Federation, a nonpartisan fiscal watchdog group, wondered what impact the resignations at City Hall will have on upcoming budget negotiations.

Ferguson noted that the city's credit rating might hang in the balance at a meeting later this month where investors in the city and Wall Street insiders will focus on Chicago's financial health and fiscal outlook, with a key question looming.

"Who are the people that are manning these critical posts, most particularly in the financial realm at this moment?" he said. "What we're seeing is they're dropping like flies, for reasons that nobody really understands, going into what already are choppy waters before we even get into the open sea of budget season."

Those looking to unseat Johnson in next year's mayoral election have labeled his administration a revolving door, but Johnson insisted change happens all the time and these departures are manageable.

"I fully anticipate and expect that we'll have someone who will carry out my vision for the city of Chicago," Johnson said.

Guzman's top deputy, Jonathan Ernst, will serve as acting budget director in the coming months.

Johnson's office said Guzman is stepping down "to focus on caring for her family."