From Chicago Sun-Times · · 3m
Mayoral allies stall debt measure
Chicago City Council delays debt threshold vote after mayor's allies use parliamentary maneuver.
In brief
Chicago City Council delays debt threshold vote after mayor's allies use parliamentary maneuver. Chicago City Council temporarily stalled a measure to raise the debt approval threshold from 26 to 30 votes after mayoral allies used a parliamentary tactic to delay the final vote. Originally reported by Chicago Sun-Times.
Debt threshold debate
Chicago needs watchdogs, and readers fund ours. Join them.
Debt threshold proposal
Retiring Ald. Marty Quinn is championing the reform. It would require 30 votes to authorize future borrowing. The current threshold is 26 votes.
Parliamentary delay
Budget Committee Chair Jason Ervin used a parliamentary maneuver to delay the final vote for at least one meeting. If 26 votes is 'enough to pass any and every' other piece of legislation, Ervin said it makes no sense to 'allow a minority of members to effectively hold everybody hostage.'
Mayor's debt concerns
Mayor Brandon Johnson said Chicagoans 'need us to move with expediency' to fill potholes, trim trees and repair crumbling bridges due to 'negligence over decades.'
Debt threshold impact
A higher vote threshold would only make it more difficult to approve measures like his $600 million capital plan and the $1.25 billion bond issue for affordable housing and economic development.
Civic Federation stance
Civic Federation President Joe Ferguson said raising the bar for issuing new city debt 'isn’t a political thing. This is math.'
Debt growth data
According to the Civic Federation, the city’s outstanding net debt rose by 32.8%, from $22 billion to $29.2 billion, between 2014 and 2:023, an amount driven by increased O’Hare Airport debt that was retired by airline revenue.
Data center moratorium
Johnson followed through on his promise to propose a one-year moratorium on new or expanded data centers until permanent regulations are established to mitigate their impact on the power grid, water supply and environment.
Zoning committee opposition
Zoning Committee Chair Gilbert Villegas accused the mayor of going too far in riding the wave of public opposition to data centers, which have become a whipping post across the country.
Data center definition
Villegas said a moratorium should be confined to 'hyper-scalers', new and expanded data centers with more than 500,000 square feet of space, not the 1,000-square-foot and '20% of total enclosed floor space' cutoff Johnson proposed.
Data center coalition
The Data Center Coalition said the proposed one-year moratorium 'sends another signal that Chicago is closed for business, both for data centers and for other significant economic development projects.'
Mayor's data center stance
At a news conference, Johnson accused 'corporate-aligned members' of the Council of adding an unnecessary legislative step to the data center moratorium.
Foundry Park TIF
Council members authorized a $201 million tax increment financing subsidy for JDL Development to start construction of the first phase of a $3 billion replacement for the failed Lincoln Yards mega-project on the North Side.
Parking meter deal
Johnson claimed credit for a parking meter compromise negotiated by Council leaders that is up for a vote Thursday in the Council’s Finance Committee.
Renter protection talks
Council members used a parliamentary maneuver to put off votes on rival renter protection ordinances championed by the mayor and his Council opposition, setting the stage for compromise talks.
Settlements approved
A nearly $14 million settlement was approved to compensate two defendants framed by corrupt Chicago Police Detective Reynaldo Guevara for murders they said they didn’t commit.
What matters most
Chicago City Council temporarily stalled a measure to raise the debt approval threshold from 26 to 30 votes after mayoral allies used a parliamentary tactic to delay the final vote.
