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Aldermen voted 29-21 to approve the mayor's spending plan, and 28-22 to back the property tax hike. It was the tightest margin of approval for any city budget since the infamous City Council Wars under Mayor Harold Washington, when a coalition of 29 mostly white men routinely voted against Washington's agenda.
"Hopefully this will really be an effort that helps a lot of our restaurants and keeps a lot of them in business," Ald. Scott Waguespack (32nd) said.
The mayor needs at least 26 votes to pass her budget plan on Tuesday, and while it appears she has the votes, it could be the closest budget vote in decades.
The vote sets the stage for the full City Council to take a final vote on the mayor's full budget plan as soon as next week. The 26 votes approving her spending plan on Thursday are the bare minimum needed for full Council approval.
The 21-12 vote by the Finance Committee signals Lightfoot likely has the votes to pass her budget plan through the full City Council, possibly as soon as next week.
"We have looked at a lot of things before we get to this point," Budget Director Susie Park said. "The property tax was not an easy decision to come to."
The City Council could set a 15% cap on the fees delivery services such as Grubhub and DoorDash charge to restaurants before Thanksgiving, offering a "lifeline" to the city's struggling hospitality industry during the second wave of the pandemic.
Two aldermen are proposing a measure to expand the city's hate crime ordinance to add protections for people based on their gender identity or their citizenship and immigration status.
"I feel like we are all on the right path as we are right now," Lightfoot said.
"This will provide critical temporary relief to eligible small businesses that cannot operate indoors right now," Mayor Lori Lightfoot said.
United Working Families, a community coalition which helped draft the proposals, denounced the moves to bottle up the ordinances in the Rules Committee, calling it "cynical maneuvering."
With no financial help on the horizon from Congress or the state, the mayor said the city must rely on making "shared sacrifices" to address the economic crisis created by the pandemic.
The City Council Ethics Committee on Tuesday balked at Mayor Lori Lightfoot's proposal to partially roll back the city's ban on "cross-lobbying," which aldermen unanimously approved in February.
Two weeks before she unveils her 2021 budget plan, Mayor Lori Lightfoot still isn't willing to say if she'll be able to avoid a property tax hike or massive layoffs to help plug a $1.2 billion shortfall.
The mayor's proposal would require industrial developers to clear additional regulatory hurdles before opening facilities near residential neighborhoods.
"It's not just those who experienced her long career or her long life that she's impacted, but it's young people like my daughter here who's been inspired by her work," Ald. Michael Rodriguez (22nd) said of Ginsburg.
During the public comment period at the start of today's City Council meeting, Catalina Andrade said her son was slain on July 18 near 24th and Washtenaw in Little Village, but to date "no one is giving me answers" on his case.
The city is facing a projected shortfall of $1.2 billion in 2021, including more than $780 million in tax revenue lost to the pandemic.
Aldermen will begin holding quarterly budget meetings next year, and starting next month will hold an annual meeting on the Chicago Police Department budget outside of the City Council's annual budget hearings in October and November.
The measure is designed to protect Woodlawn residents from being forced out of their homes when the Obama Presidential Center is built in Jackson Park.
Ald. Scott Waguespack (32nd) introduced the proposal to require the Inspector General's office to create "a user friendly, publicly accessible and searchable digital repository" of CPD's closed misconduct complaints.
The measure, approved by a 46-4 vote on Wednesday, would ban the sale of all flavored vaping products in Chicago stores, except those that taste or smell like tobacco.
Ald. Matt O'Shea (19th), the chief sponsor, originally wanted to ban any kind of flavored tobacco, including cigarettes, cigars, and chewing tobacco.
Aldermen will be asked to approve settlements in two fatal police shootings, an incident of officers raiding the wrong home, and a retaliation lawsuit filed by a former officer.
The mayor said COVID-19 has caused the city to lose approximately $780 million in revenue, accounting for the vast majority of next year's budget gap.
Heavy rain in the Chicago area led to roadway flooding Saturday morning.
A man was injured after he was shot by people inside two different cars in the Garfield Park neighborhood early Saturday morning.
As America turns 250 years old, CBS News Chicago is exploring Chicago's influence on the nation, including during the Great Migration.
Communities across Chicago and beyond marked Good Friday, from crucifixion reenactments to Pope Leo XIV's prayer at the Vatican, amid Holy Week celebrations leading up to Easter.
Two people were killed, and three others were injured in a crash on Friday afternoon in Chicago Heights.
The Illinois Accountability Commission is asking the federal officials who ran Operation Midway Blitz to testify at two hearings on federal agents' tactics during last year's immigration crackdown in Chicago.
Officials from 23 states and the District of Columbia filed a lawsuit seeking to block President Trump's executive order that aims to restrict mail voting.
A federal judge on Friday rejected efforts by the Justice Department to revive two subpoenas it served to the Federal Reserve.
The president of Wisconsin's largest mosque was detained by federal immigration agents, drawing accusations from local officials and religious leaders that the arrest was motivated by his statements against Israel.
The search for the second crew member, a weapons system officer, is continuing, two U.S. officials said.
A passenger on an American Airlines flight from New York to Chicago has been charged with making a false bomb threat that forced an emergency landing at Detroit Metro Airport last month, according to a federal criminal complaint.
Skyrocketing property taxes continue to be a hot-button issue in Cook County — particularly since last fall, when many residents saw their tax bills increase by 100% or more.
Illinois Secretary of State Alexi Giannoulias this weekend issued a warning about a surge in text messages that falsely claim to come from his office or the DMV within it.
Tenants at a South Loop luxury high-rise that has been plagued with problems like broken elevators are vowing to fight five-day eviction notices.
It's become an annual March Madness tradition at CBS Chicago, pitting our city's best eateries in direct competition in a foodie bracket challenge. We did pizza, we've done Italian beef, we've done Chicago dogs. This year, we're taking flight with wings.
Allergy season is here, and the dreaded pollen can trigger sneezing, congestion, wheezing, and shortness of breath.
Northwestern Medicine and the American Red Cross teamed up for a community blood drive in Chicago on Monday morning.
Ending domestic violence is the goal of groups and advocates all over the world, and some experts in Chicago say it is time to become less reactive and more proactive when it comes to the people causing harm.
A new Iowa law bans local nondiscrimination protections on the basis of gender identity after the state became the first in the U.S. to roll back its civil rights code last year.
Food containing norovirus may smell and taste normal but still cause serious illness if consumed, FDA warns.
The federal government is suing Illinois, Connecticut and Arizona over efforts to regulate prediction market operators such as Kalshi and Polymarket.
The owners of the popular Uncommon Ground restaurant, live music venue, and brewery in Chicago's Wrigleyville community announced this week that they're looking for a successor to take over the business.
Chicago consistently ranks in the top three cities in Fortune 500 company headquarters, and now a competition has been launched to build on Chicago's power in business.
The flagship Ann Sather restaurant on Belmont Avenue in Chicago's Lakeview community will be moving later this year, a restaurant representative said Tuesday.
Chicago Bulls legend Scottie Pippen threw some shade at former teammate Michael Jordan in a new pop commercial.
Chicago blues legend Muddy Waters' birthday is Saturday, and in his memory his eldest son is putting on a concert in Chicago.
A federal judge in New York has tossed out actor Blake Lively's sexual harassment claims against actor Justin Baldoni over their roles in the movie "It Ends With Us," but left intact a claim for retaliation.
Atlanta rapper Gucci Mane was lured to a Dallas studio for a meeting, then allegedly kidnapped and robbed by a group including rappers Pooh Shiesty and Big30.
When Jean-Luc Godard's "Hail Mary" opened in Chicago on April 4, 1986, it drew a throng of angry protesters who considered the film an affront to their faith.
Applications are open for residents and bands who want to participate in PorchFest in Chicago's Lakeview and Roscoe Village communities this year.
Heavy rain in the Chicago area led to roadway flooding Saturday morning.
A man was injured after he was shot by people inside two different cars in the Garfield Park neighborhood early Saturday morning.
Meet Elliot, he's looking for a forever home.
Meteorologist Kylee Miller has the extended forecast.
Illinois is among 23 states and the District of Columbia filing a lawsuit seeking to block President Trump's executive order that aims to restrict mail voting.
Heavy rain in the Chicago area led to roadway flooding Saturday morning.
Officials from 23 states and the District of Columbia filed a lawsuit seeking to block President Trump's executive order that aims to restrict mail voting.
Chicago businessman Willie Wilson hosted another gas giveaway on Saturday.
Fighting Illini fans are pumped for the Final Four, and Indianapolis feels more like Urbana because of how many Illini fans have traveled there for the big game.
Lucas Oil Stadium was pumping with a whole lot of orange and blue Friday morning when Illinois took the court for their open practice ahead of their Final Four showdown with Connecticut.
A Morgan Park family is still in shock after a staggering 300% spike in their latest property tax bill, and the man poised to take over as Cook County Assessor at the end of the year says it's an error he wants to make sure doesn't happen again.
Researchers at the University of Chicago have built a "self-driving" lab that uses robotics and artificial intelligence to accelerate work that would take humans weeks or months to complete.
Johnson said the position was temporary, but when the chief homelessness officer was first appointed, she told CBS News Chicago that her role was funded for three years, not two.
A former stand-out college football star with a criminal history has been convicted of sexually abusing foster children who were in the care of a Chicago facility at the center of a massive investigation.
Two more women have filed lawsuits against Massage Envy, accusing the company of failing to protect them against sexual assaults by two of their therapists.
The New York Knicks routed the Chicago Bulls 136-96 on Friday night in a game they led by 47 points.
Lucas Oil Stadium was pumping with a whole lot of orange and blue Friday morning when Illinois took the court for their open practice ahead of their Final Four showdown with Connecticut.
Rookie Chase DeLauter had three hits, including a two-run homer in the seventh inning, and drove in three runs as the Cleveland Guardians won their home opener 4-1 against the Chicago Cubs.
Tristan Peters capped a two-run 10th inning with an RBI single and the Chicago White Sox beat the Toronto Blue Jays 5-4 in a wild home opener.
In a special surprise during their home opener on Friday, the White Sox announced they will be retiring former shortstop and manager Ozzie Guillen's No. 13 jersey in August.
The president of Wisconsin's largest mosque was detained by federal immigration agents, drawing accusations from local officials and religious leaders that the arrest was motivated by his statements against Israel.
Some Joliet, Illinois, residents were asked to shelter in place Thursday morning as police executed a search warrant.
A man stood charged Thursday with holding up five men at gunpoint after luring them by offering to buy anime cards on online marketplaces.
A man was apprehended late Wednesday night after a standoff in Chicago's East Garfield Park neighborhood.
A passenger on an American Airlines flight from New York to Chicago has been charged with making a false bomb threat that forced an emergency landing at Detroit Metro Airport last month, according to a federal criminal complaint.
