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AND AS WE JUST HEARD TODAY, CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS APPROVED MAYOR BRANDON JOHNSON'S FIRST BUDGET.

THE 16.6 BILLION DOLLAR SPENDING PLAN THAT TAKES EFFECT JANUARY FIRST INCLUDES NO NEW TAXES, FEES OR SERVICE CUTS.

JOINING US TO DISCUSS MORE OF THE BUDGET.

DETAILS IS THE BUDGET DIRECTOR FOR THE CITY OF CHICAGO AND THAT DO'S MAN AND I THANK YOU FOR JOINING US.

MAYOR JOHNSON TODAY SAID THAT NEGOTIATIONS OVER THIS BUDGET.

WE'RE TOUGH.

WHAT WERE THEY LIKE?

>> YOU THEY DURING A COMPRESSED TIME FRAME.

I JUST BECAUSE ONLY BEEN IN OFFICE FOR 6 MONTHS.

BUT, YOU KNOW, WHEN YOU THINK ABOUT THE FACT THAT YOU'RE WORKING WITH 50 ALDERS TO PREPARE BUDGET, THAT'S A LOT OF CONVERSATIONS.

AND WE HAVE VERY LITTLE TIME FROM THE TIME TO BE INTRODUCED.

SO THE TIME THAT WE PASSED THAT A DATA TO REALLY ENGAGE IN NECESSARY CONVERSATIONS UNDERSTAND, YOU KNOW, HOW TO ADDRESS THE NEEDS OF EACH OF OUR COMMUNITIES.

>> SO THE BUDGET ESTABLISHES 2 NEW DEPARTMENT OF RE-ENTRY AND A SUBCOMMITTEE THAT WOULD STUDY WHETHER THE CITY SHOULD PAY REPARATIONS TO DESCENDANTS OF ENSLAVED AFRICAN AMERICANS.

LET'S START WITH THE DEPARTMENT OF RE-ENTRY FIRST.

HOW IS THIS DIFFERENT FROM THE POSITION OF FIRST DEPUTY OF THAT MAYOR LORI LIGHTFOOT PUT IN PLACE LAST YEAR?

>> SO, YOU KNOW, THIS IS AN OFFICE THAT IS CONTAINED WITHIN THE MAYOR'S OFFICE.

IT'S FOR THE FIRST TIME ACTUALLY RATED IN THE BUDGET AND IT HAS A SUSTAINABLE REVENUE SOURCE TO SUPPORT ITS WORK NOT JUST NEXT YEAR, BUT FOR YEARS AFTER THAT, I THINK THAT'S REALLY UNDER THE PREVIOUS BUDGET.

THE POSITION A PERSON FROM THE DEPARTMENT FAMILY AND SUPPORT SERVICES WHO WORKED WITHIN THE MAYOR'S OFFICE AND IT WAS FUNDED THROUGH ARPA.

SO WE KNEW THAT THAT WAS NOT A SUSTAINABLE WAY TO SHOW OUR COMMITMENT TO VERY IMPORTANT ISSUE.

AND SO WORKING WITH THE ALDERMANIC BLACK CAUCUS IN PARTICULAR, VICE MAYOR BURNETT, WE REALLY LOOKED AT HOW DO WE MAKE THIS SUSTAINABLE?

HOW DO WE SHOW THIS COMMITMENT TO OUR RESIDENTS ESPECIALLY ARE RETURNING RESIDENTS AND THIS IS WHAT WE'RE ABLE TO DO BY PUTTING A SUSTAINABLE REVENUE SOURCE BEHIND IT.

YOU KNOW, THIS PUTS ASIDE 5 MILLION FOR THIS OFFICE.

WHAT KIND OF SERVICES CAN CHICAGOANS EXPECT TO SEE?

>> FROM THAT OFFICE?

>> YOU NEW DIRECTOR FOR THE OFFICE OF REENTRY IS GOING TO BE WORKING WITH WHAT WE CALL DELEGATE AGENCIES OR COMMUNITY-BASED ORGANIZATIONS WHO DO THIS WORK EVERY SINGLE DAY TO PROVIDE THE TYPE TO WRAP AROUND SERVICES THAT WILL HELP THESE RETURNING RESIDENTS REENTER THEIR COMMUNITIES REENTER OUR WORK SPACES.

AND TO REALLY, YOU BECOME ARE ENGAGED RESIDENTS AGAIN.

AND SO THIS WILL INCLUDE THINGS WORKFORCE YOU KNOW, SERVICES CONNECTIONS TO THAT THEY SORELY NEED TO RESTART THEIR LIVES AGAIN WITHIN OUR COMMUNITIES AS WELL AS OTHER.

HOPEFUL SUPPORTS THAT WILL BE A BIT I'VE WHEN THEY RETURN THEIR COMMUNITIES.

>> SO THE OTHER INITIATIVE WE MENTIONED $500,000 BEING SET ASIDE FOR A SUBCOMMITTEE STUDYING REPARATIONS FOR CHICAGOANS KNOW, AGAIN, THIS IS THE SECOND TIME THAT SUCH A SUB COMMITTEE HAS BEEN FORMED.

WHAT CHICAGOANS EXPECT TO COME OUT OF THIS?

ONE VERY LITTLE GOT DOWN UNDER THAT LAST ONE.

>> I THINK ONE OF THE THINGS WE HEARD FROM THE ALDERMANIC BLACK CAUCUS ABOUT THE LAST TIME THAT THIS HAPPENED WAS THEY DIDN'T REALLY HAVE ANY SUPPORT TO DO THAT WORK TO REALLY UNDERSTAND THE BEST WAYS IN WHICH TO PROVIDE REPARATIONS.

WE NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT WE HAVE THE SUPPORT THERE FOR THIS COMMISSION AND THIS COMMITTEE THAT WILL INCLUDE BEING ABLE TO HIRE CONSULTANTS, POTENTIALLY BEING ABLE TO HIRE STAFF TO HELP US THINK THROUGH THE BEST WAY TO YOU KNOW, REPARATIONS YOU GUYS.

ALL THE ARE CHAIRMAN IRVIN SAYS NOW THE TIME REPARATIONS CAN COME IN MANY DIFFERENT FORMS.

AND SO WE NEED TO FIGURE OUT WHAT'S THE BEST FORM FOR RESIDENTS OF THE CITY OF CHICAGO.

AND SO PUT OUR MONEY WHERE OUR MOUTH TO REALLY DIG IN AND MAKE A COMMITMENT TO MAKING SURE THAT THIS WILL WORK THIS TIME.

>> AND THAT WHY WERE THESE 2 INITIATIVES, A KEY PART OF ENSURING SUPPORT FROM THE BLACK CAUCUS?

>> YOU KNOW, THE BLACK CAUCUS CAME TO US EARLY ON EVEN YOU KNOW, WE REALLY STARTED ENGAGING IN EARNEST IN OUR NEGOTIATIONS ABOUT THE BUDGET AND CENT.

WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WITHIN ALL OF THE THING YOU'RE DOING, WE'RE MAKING A COMMITMENT TO OUR COMMUNITIES AND IT'S THAT KIND OF METHOD INTENSIFIED OVER THE COURSE OF THE.

BUDGET ESPECIALLY WHEN WE WE'RE ABLE TO CONTINUE PROVIDING FUNDING IN NEXT YEAR'S BUDGET FOR THE MIGRANT MISSION.

AND YOU KNOW, THEY'VE ALWAYS SAID, AND I THINK THE MAYOR IS WHO WE CAN DO WORK ENSURE WE'RE HELPING NEW MEMBERS OF OUR COMMUNITY.

WELL, AT THE SAME TIME, MAKING SURE INVESTING MAINTAINING OUR COMMITMENT TO EXISTING RESIDENTS OF THE CITY OF CHICAGO.

AND SO THROUGH THOSE CONVERSATIONS WITH THE ULTIMATE CAUCUS, WE LISTENED.

WE UNDERSTOOD WHAT IT IS AS THEY FORMED EXACTLY WHAT THEY THOUGHT THE BEST WAY TO PROVIDE THAT COMMITMENT TO SHOW THAT COMMITMENT TO THEIR COMMUNITIES.

AND SO AGAIN, I THINK, YOU KNOW, YOU ASKED ME AT THE BEGINNING OF THIS INTERVIEW.

YOU KNOW, WHAT ARE THOSE NEGOTIATIONS LIKE?

THAT'S WHAT GATE IS BECAUSE SHE'S RIGHT.

IT IS.

IT IS LISTENING.

IT WAS UNDERSTANDING IT WAS FINDING THE BEST BEST HALF BOARD.

>> MAYOR JOHNSON SPOKE AFTER THE MEETING ABOUT HOW HE INTENDS FOR THIS BUDGET TO HELP ALL CHICAGOANS.

HERE'S A QUICK LOOK AT WHAT HE HAD TO SAY.

>> THE SMART CHOICES WE MADE WITH THIS BUDGET.

WHICH ACKNOWLEDGED THE NEED AND RESPONSIBILITY FOR OTHER GOVERNMENTS TO INVEST IN THIS CRISES.

HAS ALLOWED US TO KEEP OUR PROMISE.

PROMISED TO NEVER SACRIFICE THE NEEDS OF CHICAGOANS AND SUPPORT OF THOSE WHO WISH TO BECOME CHICAGOANS.

>> AND THAT WE'VE LITERALLY GOT A COUPLE OF SECONDS TO THE ISSUE OF BALANCING CHICAGOANS AND MIGRANTS TO DO THAT COMPLICATE NEGOTIATIONS AT ALL.

I DON'T THINK YOU KNOW, HAD SEVERAL CONVERSATIONS WITH ALDERS IN PARTICULAR OLD ALDERMAN BURNETT.

>> WHERE HE SAID I'VE NEVER SAID THAT WE CAN'T HELP THOSE WHO ARE COMING HERE.

I JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE ALL SO DOING RIGHT BY THOSE WHO ALREADY LIVE HERE.

AND SO IS HOW DO WE HOW WE MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE DOING SUFFICIENT SERVICES TO BOTH GROUPS THAT SACRIFICING THE NEEDS OF THOSE WHO LIVE HERE FOR THOSE WHO ARE JUST COMING TO BEGIN WITH.

SO DON'T THINK IT COMPLICATES I THINK IT AND 5 THE CONVERSATION AND WE'RE ABLE TO