>>> CHICAGO BUSINESS COMMUNITY HAS BEEN BATTERED OVER THE LAST FEW YEARS FROM COVID TO HIGH LOOP VACANCY RATES.

PAUL VALLAS AND BRANDON JOHNSON SAYS THAT WEIGHS HEAVILY ON THE FUTURE.

>> JUST DOWNTOWN MICHIGAN AVENUE AND COMMERCIAL CORRIDORS ON THE SOUTH SIDE AND ON THE WEST SIDE.

FIRST OF ALL, PUBLIC SAFETY.

RIGHT NOW, WHEN I TALK TO BUSINESS GROUPS AND BUSINESS ASSOCIATIONS, PUBLIC SAFETY IS A DOMINANT ISSUE.

>> IT'S NOT A ONE-TRICK PONY.

YOU HAVE TO CREATE A SAFE ENVIRONMENT TO DO BUSINESS IN THE CITY OF CHICAGO.

YOU ALSO HAVE TO INCENTIVIZE THE TYPES OF BUSINESSES THAT HAVE NOT HAD AN OPPORTUNITY TO BE HERE.

>> JOINING US TO GIVE US THE VIEW FROM THE BUSINESS COMMUNITY ARE PRESIDENT AND CEO OF THE CHICAGOLAND CHAMBER OF COMMERCE.

FELICIA FROM THE GREATER INGLEWOOD CHAMBER OF CONGRESS.

COMMERCE.

AND THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR .

WE WELCOME YOU IN PERSON.

FELICIA SLAYTON YOUNG , IS PUBLIC SAFETY INTERTWINED?

WHAT ARE THE PUBLIC SAFETY POLICIES THAT HAS TO BE PURSUED TO MAKE THE BUSINESS CLIMATE BETTER?

>> THERE'S A LOT OF THINGS THAT MAKE ABOUT.

I'M GOING TO START FIRST WITH THE ISSUE OF PEOPLE MAKING SURE THEY HAVE SAFE SPACES TO BE.

A PLACE EXCLUSIVELY FOR TEENS.

WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT.

IT'S NOT ENOUGH TO JUST TRAIN PEOPLE.

FINDING JOBS THAT ARE MEANINGFUL THAT PAYS A THRIVING WAGE.

AND I THINK WE NEED TO FIGURE OUT, HOW DO WE BRING COMMUNITIES , WITH THE POLICE , AND A UNIFORM WAY OF MAKING SURE THAT THERE ARE SOME EQUITY IN HOW WE LOOK AT WHAT WE WANT TO SEE IN THE COMMUNITY FOR OUR KIDS, OUR BUSINESSES .

AS LONG AS SAFETY WILL CONTINUE TO PREVAIL , IT MAKES IT HARD TO ATTRACT .

>> THAT IS WHERE WE HAVE CONSENT.

JACK, LET'S TALK ABOUT THE LOOP DOWNTOWN, MAGNIFICENT MILE.

VACANCY RATES HAVE BEEN HOVERING NEAR 20 AND 25%.

WHAT SPECIFIC POLICIES NEED TO BE ENACTED TO DRIVE IT DOWN?

>> THE FIRST THING IS TO MAKE SURE CTA IS SAFE.

A LOT OF PEOPLE COMING DOWNTOWN ARE TAKING THE CTA.

WE'VE GOT TO GET PEOPLE BACK IN THE OFFICE.

THE CTA IS NOT SAFE.

>> AND NOT RELIABLE RIGHT NOW.

>> NOT RELIABLE.

TALK ABOUT PUBLIC SAFETY WOULD ALSO TAXES.

WE HAVE HAD SKYROCKETING PROPERTY TAXES.

ONE OF THE CANDIDATES OPPOSING A LOT OF NEW TAXES, U.S. COMPANIES AND AS YOU SAID, VACANCY RATES ARE HIGH.

THEY ARE COMING OUT OF THE PANDEMIC, THE LINGERING EFFECTS OF THAT.

SKYROCKETING PROPERTY TAXES.

WE CAN'T AFFORD MORE TAXES.

WE HAVE TO ADDRESS PUBLIC SAFETY SO BUSINESSES CAN GET THE PEOPLE BACK TO WORK AND GET THE ECONOMY ROLLING AGAIN AND GET MORE JOBS.

BOTTOM LINE, FUNDS THE POLICE .

HELP THE MAG MILE.

HOTEL TAX.

TOURISM IS A HUGE PART OF OUR ECONOMY.

IF WE RAISE HOTEL TAX, WE ARE ALREADY ONE OF THE HIGHEST IN THE COUNTRY.

CONVENTIONS THAT WANT TO COME.

>> AND YOUR GROUP HAS ENDORSED PAUL VALLAS.

BRANDON JOHNSON HAS PROPOSED TAXES.

LOGAN SQUARE , WHAT IS THE VIEW FROM THE COMMUNITY LIKE LOGAN SQUARE WHERE BUSINESS IS BOOMING PRETTY WELL.

WHAT POLICIES CAN HELP FOSTER A CLIMATE WHERE FOLKS CAN EXPAND THEIR BUSINESSES AND OPEN NEW BUSINESSES?

>> I THINK OUR OPERATORS HAVE BEEN TELLING US THEY WANT TO MAYOR THAT TRULY UNDERSTANDS THE IMPORTANCE OF BUILDING RELATIONSHIPS BETWEEN THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT ARENA IN THE COMMUNITY .

THAT IS WHEN WE ARE GOING TO GET A THRIVING CORRIDOR.

I THINK WHAT'S HAPPENING NOW IS ACROSS-THE-BOARD , OUR OPERATORS , NOT JUST IN THE SOUTHWEST SIDE .

>> SOUTH AND WEST , BUT ALL OVER THE CITY.

>> ELLIOTT RICHARDSON, WHAT ABOUT SMALL BUSINESS IN GENERAL?

>> YEAH.

>> WHAT IS THE MOOD ?

>> SMALL BUSINESS HAS HAD A DIFFICULT TIME DURING THE PANDEMIC.

THEY ARE STRUGGLING TO RECOVER.

WHETHER IT'S THE NORTHSIDE OR THE WEST SIDE OR THE SOUTH SIDE.

ONE THING WE NEED THE NEW MAYOR TO DO IS TO LEAD THE CHARGE TO CUT RED TAPE, REDUCE COSTS FOR STARTING A BUSINESS.

MOVING INTO A NEIGHBORHOOD .

WE'VE GOT TO REVITALIZE NEIGHBORHOOD BUSINESSES.

>> WHAT ARE THOSE ISSUES?

>> GETTING A PERMIT.

GETTING A BUSINESS LICENSE.

IT TAKES FAR TOO LONG.

IT'S FAR TOO EXPENSIVE.

ZONING.

YOU NEED A SPECIAL USE PERMIT TO BRING AN INNOVATIVE NEW BUSINESS.

YOU HAVE TO COME UP WITH SITE PLANS.

YOU HAVE TO COME UP WITH VERY ARDUOUS NOTICE REQUIREMENTS.

YOU HAVE TO BRING IN EXPERTS, SOMETIMES A REAL ESTATE EXPERT OR SOMEBODY LIKE THAT.

THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS TO PAY THESE FEES AND TIME TO PUT UP THEIR SHINGLE IN ORDER FOR BUSINESS TO HAPPEN.

PEOPLE DON'T WANT TO TAKE THE CHANCE.

THEY DON'T WANT TO COME TO THE NEIGHBORHOOD.

THEY DON'T WANT TO RISK SIGNING A LEASE AND NOT BEING ABLE TO OPEN.

WE NEED THE MAYOR THAT CAN WORK WITH DEVELOPERS AND WORK WITH CITY DEPARTMENTS AND MAKE THIS PROCESS SMOOTHER, LESS EXPENSIVE, AND QUICK.

>> IT SOUNDS LIKE YOU NEED TO APPEAL TO CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS AS WELL.

THEY HAVE A LOT OF SAY.

DOES THE ROAD NEED TO BE SMOOTHER FOR SMALL BUSINESSES?

>> ABSOLUTELY.

LET'S GO BACK TO THE RED TAPE.

THAT'S THE THING THAT KEEPS BUSINESSES FROM OPENING.

THEY ARE FINDING SPACES IN SUBURBS TO OPEN.

THE PROCESS IS LESS ARDUOUS.

THE RED TAPE, THE COST.

FOR MANY , ONCE THEY FINALLY GET OPEN , THE FINES AND FEES.

ON A CONSISTENT BASIS, VERY SMALL BUSINESS IN A POST PANDEMIC ECONOMY IS NOT GOING TO FIND IN THE CITY OF CHICAGO.

>> IN INGLEWOOD , I DON'T THINK YOU WANT TO RELY ON GIANT ECONOMIES.

JACK, YOU MENTIONED YOU'RE NOT A FAN OF SOME OF THE TAXES THAT BRANDON JOHNSON IS PROPOSING.

BUT I THINK WE HAVE TO LEVEL WITH FOLKS GIVEN THE DEBT SITUATION IN THE CITY.

REVENUE MIGHT HAVE TO BE RAISED IN SOME CAPACITY.

>> YOU NEED TO HAVE THE SCHOOL SECURITY.

YOU NEED TO BALANCE THE BUDGET.

WE HAVE A FISCAL CLIFF COMING UP.

760 MILLION.

BEFORE WE START PROPOSING TAXES FOR NEW PROGRAMS, WE NEED TO ADDRESS SOME OF THE ISSUES WE HAVE.

FUNDING FOR PUBLIC TRANSIT.

UNFUNDED PENSION LIABILITIES.

THESE ARE ISSUES WE NEED TO ADDRESS BEFORE WE BEGIN NEW PROGRAMS.

PLUS PUBLIC SAFETY, POLICE, CTA, THINGS THAT WILL HELP BUSINESSES GROW.

ON THE RED TAPE, WE HAD 12 CRANES UP BEFORE.

WE'VE GOT TO GET THE PERCEPTION OF CHICAGO AS A GOOD PLACE TO DO BUSINESS , WELCOME COMPANIES HERE .

THERE IS A TAX ON HIRING SOMEONE.

WE TELL BUSINESSES, YOU ARE GOING TO GET TAXED FOR HIRING SOMEONE.

THAT IS NOT A GOOD THING TO SELL.

WE ARE GOING TO CHARGE YOU.

>> A HEAD TAX .

WHEN YOU LOOK AT THESE TWO CANDIDATES, DO ANY OF THEIR BUSINESS PLATFORMS APPEAL TO LOGAN SQUARE CHAMBER OF COMMERCE?

>> I THINK THAT BOTH CANDIDATES -- FOR US , I SPOKE TO OUR BUSINESS OPERATORS.

THEY ARE LOOKING FOR A MAYOR THAT IS TACKLING THE ROOT OF THE PROBLEM.

AND I THINK A LOT OF WHAT IS BEEN PRESENTED ARE ALMOST UNREALISTIC INITIATIVES.