Chicago: Mayor Brandon Johnson Releases Fiscal Year 2025 Budget Engagement Report
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CHICAGO ~ Chicago Releases 2025 Budget Engagement Report, Showcasing Community-Centered Approach

The City of Chicago has announced the release of its 2025 Budget Engagement Report, a comprehensive document that reflects months of collaboration and engagement with the community to shape a fiscally responsible and equitable budget. Prepared in partnership with the University of Illinois at Chicago's (UIC) Great Cities Institute, the report highlights the City's commitment to transparency, equity, and participatory governance.

Led by Mayor Brandon Johnson, Budget Director Annette Guzman, and First Deputy of Community Engagement Sara Mathers, the engagement process aimed to include residents, youth, and community organizations in the budget decision-making process.

"The City of Chicago's 2025 budget engagement process was an unprecedented effort to bring Chicagoans to the table and ensure their voices directly assist in shaping our budgetary priorities," said Mayor Brandon Johnson. "This report demonstrates how collaboration with our communities can result in solutions that are fair, inclusive and focused on the long-term prosperity of our city."

The engagement process consisted of three phases and utilized multiple channels for input, including public roundtables, youth engagement events, online surveys, and targeted outreach to historically underrepresented groups. The report outlines key findings from these activities and highlights Chicagoans' top priorities in areas such as housing, arts and culture, economic development, public health, youth services, community safety, environmental justice, and infrastructure.

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One notable aspect of the engagement process was its extensive reach. Over 1,600 residents participated in public roundtables, online surveys and youth engagement activities. Special attention was given to ensuring equitable participation from historically marginalized communities.

The youth engagement roundtable also provided valuable insights into the unique concerns of young Chicagoans. Their priorities included youth employment opportunities, homelessness services and digital infrastructure.

Through this process, top public priorities were identified as expanding homeless and mental health services; implementing environmental response initiatives; investing in the development and revitalization of historically disinvested communities and commercial corridors; increasing funding for cultural grant programs; and expanding violence prevention and alternate response programs.

The report also highlights the City's commitment to equity by ensuring that Black and Latinae residents, who are disproportionately affected by systemic inequities, were well-represented in the engagement process. Additionally, there was a fairly even distribution across age ranges of participants, ensuring perspectives from various life stages were included in the discussion.

The report integrates data and feedback to inform policy decisions for the FY2025 budget and beyond, ensuring that fiscal strategies align with community needs.

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"In light of the financial challenges facing the City, our budget engagement process takes on even more significance...ensuring that we are directly responding to community needs and aspirations," said Budget Director Annette Guzman. "Our proposed investments and allocations reflect what residents have asked for. Our process also highlights the year-long effort we've undertaken to listen, engage, and ensure transparency in budgeting."

The UIC Great Cities Institute played a crucial role in gathering and analyzing feedback for the report. The institute's expertise in community engagement and research design helped guide the process.

"Engaging directly with residents from all walks of life and ages has enriched this process," said First Deputy of Community Engagement Sara Mathers. "The input received reinforces the importance of participatory governance in building trust and fostering equitable solutions."

According to Thea Crum of UIC's Great Cities Institute, this year's budget engagement was extensive in engaging the community. It spanned months and involved residents, City task forces, and representatives from community organizations across three phases. The process provided multiple channels for community members to give feedback and ideas about the budget, including co-designing public roundtables with volunteer stakeholders from across the city.

The 2025 Budget Engagement Report represents a significant milestone in Chicago's ongoing efforts to build a transparent, equitable, and community-driven budgeting process. The full report is now available on the City of Chicago's Office of Budget and Management's website at bit.ly/3ZuudME. All are encouraged to review it and provide feedback.

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