>> And everyone, thanks for joining us on the weekend.

Review online them independently.

A new budget pitch from Mayor Brandon Johnson.

>> It's a collaborator in are going to continue to work through this process to present a budget that continues to invest the plan he laid out this afternoon relies on a panoply tax increases, fines, fees and surcharges plus, ending pandemic-era programs like a guaranteed basic income pilot projects.

There's also a property tax The lead reduced.

>> The administration have come a long way from 300 million dollars in tax increases to 60.

60 was 68 million dollars.

I think that's that's a big deal.

But will enough members of the City Council get on board?

Some are questioning what Johnson knew and when about allegations of former top aide harassed employees.

>> It completely brilliant.

A future that I would have pretty clear to me that the mayor knew about it.

>> And or should have known about it and should have done something immediately.

A new contract for Chicago public schools, teachers is outstanding to.

We are now pushing 7 days a We do not want strike.

>> Even as the school board is working to push out the district CEO the undercover recordings.

Jurors for former House Speaker Michael Madigan's corruption trial are light.

I think don't that prosecutors say show the inner workings of an alleged criminal enterprise.

>> And now to our week in review panel joining us, our tennis us from the Chicago Sun-Times truly saying of Bloomberg News now Salzman from the Chicago Tribune and John Sidell also from the Chicago Sun-Times.

Now lets get right to it.

We're going to with you because we have a new budget proposal from Mayor Johnson.

What's in it has a different well, I think this is a collection of a lot of little items that have been coming out from city council from the mayor's office over the last few weeks.

>> A few weeks ago, the City Council unanimously rejected a 300 million dollar property tax increase.

And so in place of that with the mayor has had to do is really negotiate piecemeal.

A variety of different taxes and levies on everything from whether or not the city council except the garbage whether or not the business community is okay with the cloud increase to the cloud.

Test the test.

But a variety of different proposals that are compiled together to get him to that magic.

26 vote mark and just all of those taxes, fees and surcharges collectively amount to what he had wanted from the property tax increases 300 million dollar range collectively or is this a smaller budget?

>> No, as far as I know, this is not a smaller budget.

The entire deficit is about.

>> 982 million dollars for 2025, the key question was how is he going to fill the 300 million piece of it that was rejected in terms of the property tax increase.

So this gets him pretty close, you know, but there are so few questions about whether enough alderman are going to propose these various fines and fees and different revenue collections.

Some want some and others are on board like the garbage fee.

For example, the alcohol tax, even the cloud on infrastructure increase.

Those are all still under negotiation.

It's not like there's been a vote Tina in this new proposal, what stuck out to you?

Something I guess to me a lot of it.

The cloud tax.

I guess I don't think about that.

>> I take rideshares now and again that that's one of the among the new surcharge increases.

I think that he is trying to like target suburbanites a bit to try to lessen the load on the city residents.

But that would be the surcharges on Uber Lyft and also raising downtown on weekends.

And yeah, the new plan, right?

Okay.

Yes.

And then also on increase taxes on parking garages weekdays and weekends.

So if you're got coming into the city downtown.

>> You would see increased fees.

There is a in the market are some Next year, Christmas or whatever.

But also there's a $0.07 to $0.10 of increased on the plastic backs.

Just notice that one.

I don't know.

I mean, I definitely still pay for that of guilt.

So that would be an extra $0.03 a day or something.

But I do think he's trying, as you like took it down 3 million to 60.

68 CE?

Yeah.

So the property tax.

But people are still upset about that.

They're like, no, we're still not saying yeah.

Some of the party Quinn today said that is too much so still too much.

So what are the options that he has now?

Do you want to weigh in here?

>> I mean, it seems like the mayor, you know, has a host, Lou of proposals re and Tina has a list here.

We're talking about forehand.

It's been really contentious with aldermen.

I know it's been something that, you know, many people have spoken up and said, what are you doing?

Everyone has been even even allies of the Mayor.

Byron Sigcho Lopez really close and staunch supporter of the mayor.

I think in a couple of weeks it's going to go up for a vote.

And so like my colleague, Cara saying, I think like, you know, we're going to see in a couple of weeks really what's going to happen.

should.

It is the lost control.

The mayor of this process.

Are we seeing today by he says he's the collaborative your collaborator in chief got a new.

>> slew of options on the table just to show that he's maybe trying to regain control by presenting alternatives.

I think it's a really challenging situation for alderman as well as the mayor on the one hand, the mayor has to present a balanced budget that he can get the City Council on board with past by December 31st, which is the statutory deadlines, which is one of the reasons everyone is really focused on it right now.

The budget is an important piece legislation ever yet.

But right now we're ready in December.

And the statutory deadline is coming up.

So >> there is even more attention being paid to But the challenges that can aldermen sell a property tax increase to their residents and that is a big challenge for both sides to think because this is really from my understanding, a property tax increase that is largely mash with the consumer price index.

>> Had he not put out this massive 300 million figure initially my people have been more prone to swallow it just say we're going to follow what had been a plan under former Mayor Lori Lightfoot of keeping with the CPI just started holding tight.

So you don't have to reduce cuts when, of course, the city expenses are rising.

I think there's a spectrum in terms of what aldermen want.

So some aldermen are saying we are not going to vote yes on any budget that has a property tax increase.

Others are saying we want some sort of combination of cuts and we really haven't talked about that.

But that is something that many alderman have said is that, you know, if we're going to ask for more taxes from residents, whether it's a property tax or other types of Texas, they are also asking a contingency of are also asking for cuts.

So that's something that both sides need to think about at this point.

And it's also happening as Brandon Johnson has a 14% approval rating.

>> So it doesn't have a lot of support the time of factor into.

I think that's bad.

I think if you're trying to win the public support, people are calling their older men at all these little pieces, whether they're happy or not.

So why would they want to support?

is so unpopular.

Why would they want help him do this?

Get this deficit you think at all that says this is sort of death by 1000 cuts.

If your nickel and dime residents that that's going to be.

>> Easier for folks to swallow than a large property tax increase?

I think so.

We cover the Springfield budget every year.

They do similar things where if they threw out this huge number, it's a trial balloon and then they kind of trickle.

Things often seems to be.

That's what he's doing and they'll be a couple of there's there's a deadline.

But people actually see these numbers will be able to say whether they hate them or let I mentioned Lopez because you know that that large proposal that 300 million >> tax hike that really affects a lot of residents in more right, which?

>> He deeply affected by gentrification.

And so tax cuts smaller things that don't you know that the margins are less visible on a lot of different pools is I think like you said a lot easier to swallow than oh, my gosh, my my rent going up and also in terms of the property tax, it's really hard for residents to seek immediate impact from those property taxes because 80% of them.

>> Do go towards paying down the unfunded pension liability for the underfunded pensions that the city carries.

So, you know, dollar for dollar, if you are increasing a property tax, then they're not necessarily seeing it in their public safety or trimming or any other service immediately.

So what's next.

All right.

Now there's briefings going where the administration is laying out their most recent proposal to alderman we'll see.

There are a couple of city council meeting scheduled for next week.

And we're going to see if there's going to be some sort called at this point.

I think the mayor is trying to figure out how many votes he and it could go on a dividing status after that, right like it.

If they don't hit the deadline that could be in until the end of the year, which we see in Springfield.

But I guess we haven't seen city council and a longtime.

as far as I have heard you know, does anyone have talked to who has been in office has been sort some sort of administrative position in recent memory that has never been a position where the city has not had a balanced budget voted on by the end of December.

>> And what happens after that is still an unknown because no one is actually encountered that in recent memory who is also rare to have such pushback from members of the city Council against a mayor.

We haven't seen that either.

I mean, you know, I've been covering the city for a few years now.

And I can say the activism in terms of the what I hear from the aldermen, seems to be increasing year after year.

And that's just an observation just from watching so many city council meetings.

But I think it's also partly because of the fiscal pressures that the city largely is under insurgent.

That proven this is Lester question on the budget.

Does this prove to start of the mayor's point that things are just such a mess in the city of Chicago fit.

He has inherited of these problems and is just trying to right the ship.

He shouldn't be taking the blame.

That's a part of it.

But he's in charge.

He has to figure this out.

This is the thing that people elected him to do.

>> And he says over and he says over and over again, you know, he's doing things differently, right?

He has himself a collaborator in chief and he he wants more communication with aldermen.

The fact that there are more specific cuts and sort options the table to and I were discussing before means maybe there's a solution before.

Well, for the New Year.

>> John, you know, we are going to turn to you now you have just not paying close attention to the city budget mission nations because a week you have been in trial where you don't have the option to do that covering the trial.

By the way, difficulty you can't record the proceedings are any things got to pay close attention and eventually sunshine in like I mean, isn't that?

Weekend is combat weekend this coming.

So, John, this is, of course, that the child even covering is the corruption allegations levied against former House Speaker Michael Madigan, as well as his co defendant.

That's his close friend lobbyist and John McClain.

I just want like make huge onsite out so John, can you please just generally share observations?

The trial has been going on.

It's finished 7th week.

I believe how have things been going?

Is this about what you expected it to be like?

>> Yeah, you know, so it's it's boy, it's it's so broad and sweeping.

And there are multiple schemes alleged here, right?

So they they they kicked things off really with the same allegations from the comment trial last year.

Mike McClain went on trial.

So did and promissory jailed already and John and they were all convicted last year.

And so we saw a lot of that evidence again in the first several weeks.

And then Dennis Alice took the stand.

And then we we shifted into a whole new phase of this trial with allegations we hadn't seen before involving Michael Madigan's law firm.

You know, it was it was interesting, too, because for the first several weeks, jurors have kind of becoming oriented how things work in Springfield the state house and all of a sudden we're talking about city hall and they're getting a lesson on city hall politics.

And that's but that's just kind of speaks to just the wide range of of evidence and allegations here that it goes from Chicago to Springfield in one trial.

So if you weren't say somebody that sitting at this table that has to follow the visit is part of their occupation.

>> Is it easy enough to follow or is it so sweeping that you think chirs it over say, look, if you're a >> I do sometimes wonder how overwhelmed turns are.

There is a lot to keep track of Again, just a comment piece of that.

That's like 3 or 4 different schemes in and of itself.

And now we're talking about like it's one thing.

But there like kind of 5 schemes here that we're talking about more broadly.

I've seen the jurors like kind of like filling up their notebooks and there's they are they're still paying attention this deep into the trial.

And I think they I have gotten kind of oriented to the cast of characters and everything that you're familiar names, you know, like in addition to Madigan, McLean Solis, we've also heard talk of Martin's Sandoval, the late state Senator Tony Munoz has come up and Ed Burke even come up.

And and, you it's funny how some of these trials have overlapped.

We've kind of like got into the same area.

The old Post office is the future of both Burke's trial from last year and Madigan's trial.

Now as both these property tax lawyers were sort scheming to to get it cut actually, they both allegedly and Burke.

It was it was proven that he was using his powerful position.

>> To steer business for now in this piece of that, prosecutors are saying the bag into the same Well, in in one exchange that took jurors saw the speaker put on his dad had asking former Alderman Solis to help his son Andrew, who want work?

>> Anything else here the let me know if there's one thing you can OK?

You got a meeting with.

The Resurrection Project.

Guess and it to the beating you to try to follow what we had in my office.

Yeah, that we have returned calls.

>> Never called back to speaker Now, John, this is a and dramatic in is working for an insurance company and and ended up getting this company's business are helping to get it and has been paid to my understanding pretty hefty sums since then on the count is sort of a finder's fee.

And are not accused of running it like doing bit.

>> It is.

I just want to go to this example because is this where you see just did dad trying look out for his kid as most fathers would do or is the allegation that there's something more to it?

What do you see out of that exchange?

Well, I think this is really important because what happens before Madigan brings up.

>> The resurrection Project is Danny Solis is asking for mad as planning a paid seat on a government board.

He tells Matic and he's going to run for re-election on the council.

That is going to leave after 2 years.

You want to see it on a board that's going to pay him.

So shortly after says that Intel's man again and I'll help continue even good to be ongoing.

Help first met again says don't worry about it.

Then he brings up the Resurrection Project.

And so does raise for a meeting and that ultimately leads to an dramatic and making $43,000 out of this deal.

Now, again, Andrew Mega not accused of wrongdoing, but you see having the state board seat.

Megan says it's something you can do for me.

Some wind up getting $43,000.

So this is a short of that that that hit for it.

And then prosecutors are alleging that was the speaker using his elected position.

>> To really increase, she ate himself in those courses, influence with incoming Governor JB Pritzker.

Who at that point, I think we're still running.

But it was just the general sense that he be elected.

Now each of you have not been in the courtroom.

just curious any any takeaways teen, of course, you particularly follow Springfield closely.

Is the mad again that you're used to?

>> Megan that are used to.

He's very careful.

So we're not used to seeing these these tapes and him talking about his family.

I think he's been very secretive about his family or very, very private.

So this and regional and dramatic and it found very interesting what everybody always assumed was happening.

But we actually see some proof and also just the steering the business to is his law firm.

Everyone has written stories circling around that for decades.

And now we're kind of seeing some of that spelled out in the trial.

So the parts that I thought were the most interesting, I was also struck by how he pays attention to detail something that we've long known about the speaker.

He asked the questions, knows word by Ward Street by street.

Sometimes.

>> But also that he sort of flats is open about questioning progressive Democrats and where they're going with agendas.

Anything else before we move on, John, that you want point out because this is kind getting close to a conclusion.

>> Yeah, we're going cause I was going to mention that that clip early when the show started.

You got look at the Bruce Rauner punching bag so you do see a little bit of lighter AG.

But yeah, the government says they could be resting as soon as this week.

And then it's going to be up to the defense and how what kind case they're going to put on as far as witnesses are going to call otherwise.

We could be getting close to closing arguments into.

They want to end this year like Senators home or they're gonna forget about everything for Christmas and come back.

I think it's real question because of closing arguments push right at the Jury has been told they won't be here be at the courthouse during Christmas that week.

And then New Year's.

We could slide there.

2 days of the courthouse that are expected to be there.

So do you want to end on closing arguments and then what?

Wait 2 weeks for them to start deliberations?

I don't think we know how that's going to happen yet.

Maybe be back in very jolly punching bag, by the way, because, of course, mannequin and former Governor Bruce Rauner really went head to head wondering.

>> If that was a gift in from And and again, if you're watching, we want to I now I want to focus now on Chicago public schools because you had a scoop this week that CPS CEO, Pedro Martinez, was offered a buyout from this new Johnson appointed board.

>> What can you tell us?

>> The lawyers representing the board of Education.

Did Kyle Pedro Martinez this weekend offering a buyout, basically, you offering to give him money to leave his job.

And you know how So that is a number that you can calculate yourself because it's it's hundreds of thousands of dollars.

It's days salary place, 20 weeks of severance pay.

So it's like can be close to like $200,000.

It's a number that that the CEO makes since 20 to 22 contract.

But he also has health benefits and those types of things.

So it's a lot of So why did he rejected?

He rejected You know, because he has rejected.

>> Offers not offers but asks requests to leave his position and he wants to.

I mean, I haven't spoken to Martinez, but he he's made it very clear that he doesn't want to leave his position as CEO of Chicago Public Schools.

you spoken with any of these board members about why they so badly want him out?

It's a good question.

You know, I was covering the board meeting this Wednesday and I was sitting in the auditorium with other reporters and spokesperson for Chicago, Chicago, Public Schools every single meeting, its a common experience.

I think for reporters and your Porter who's covered a board meeting right?

You're sitting there and waiting and waiting and we wait for hours.

It's like he's gonna by the pizza.

You know, waiting.

But we ask at the end and they just every single time declined our questions every single time.

I think, you know, a few have given out their numbers.

I've had very limited, you know, success in reaching them.

I've tried to reach to the city officials to say can we have a meeting can be said town but no one wants to talk.

So it's it's unclear 50 typical right for those of us are journalists to have members of a board that is this public facing.

>> Refused to speak with journalists.

Well, there's been a lot of up for in this sport and CPS.

So it's understandable why they don't want to talk, but it still doesn't account for that because they they need to be transparent with reporters.

And a lot of these talks happened in closed session that we're waiting for them to get out of closed session.

And so it's unclear what's going on.

>> And to to also complicate the matter, it's in the middle of contract negotiations with CTU.

And so there's a lot of things happening behind closed doors and numbers being flown around and >> and accusations from both the District and the Union, you know, saying you're lying, know you're lying.

So so we don't know what behind closed doors was sad about Martinez and his future.

>> What do we know about the Chicago teachers Union strike?

They have narrowed their demands.

Absolutely.

That's right.

sorry.

Contract negotiation.

that's right.

it's true.

Everyone's been asking that right.

there be a strike?

Will there be a strike?

I think looking back to 2019 and memories from mean every single time.

I think is different every year is different.

And this particular situation right now, CTU has put out a road map saying that they're they want to they want to negotiate with CPS.

Eps CPS came out the week before Thanksgiving saying your proposals are too much.

They're going to cost us 10 billion dollars.

Now sources are telling me, you 10 billion is a big number.

And and this road map that seat he was put out is significantly less than 10 billion is their number.

I was not told a number and CPS has not given a in terms of what CPS CTU is not also putting out a number.

The 2 main issues are salary increases and staffing.

So.

>> Shouldn't budget expert way?

I think all these are really interesting points.

in terms of the breaking news from this week, the bigger context of this is the federal pandemic aid is ending.

And so a lot of these government agencies, sister agencies, such Chicago Public Schools are headed towards what's called a fiscal cliff, which sounds really bad.

But it's basically that after this money runs out, they are going to be facing a deficit, a bigger deficit and >> it's not a fiscal hill.

I mean, that's the people describe it.

and the question is.

There's already a deficit expected in the years ahead.

How much bigger could it be with the new contract and just one note is that on they've been without new contract since June writes.

this is months into when a new contract probably should have been in place right Do you right?

Yeah.

And you can think about it as well.

If you look back 2019, those negotiations happened a lot earlier.

So when you strike now everyone's asking, will there be a strike will be a strike?

>> It's pretty cold to have a strike right now.

You know, I I don't know sometimes it comes down to practicality about politics.

just that you don't want numbers on the picket line when it's whatever below.

Exactly.

And and if these negotiations wrapped up, you know, or didn't wrap up whatever when I went on and there was a strike, then it would be really could now, isn't there also another timeline, of course, and that is a 30 seconds left.

But a new board coming in is that the deadline that folks are looking at absolutely that's a good point.

And so this new board, this hybrid board with elected officials see to you, which has a lot of authority over the board because it resigned over conflict with the with the CEO, which the mayor then appoint a new board.

This Newport has some more independent candidates.

So, you know, with with CT want influence and >> in perhaps the firing of CEO Martinez and also in the contract negotiations in these issues are becoming more intertwined.

That also incoming Trump administration that to lots of change ahead.

We'll be talking about all that, of course, on future programs because we are out of time for this one.

>> Our appreciation to tennis, notice should saying Salzman and John's it We are back to wrap things up right after this.

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Stay healthy and safe and have good night.

And happy holiday weekend.

You know, we did not talk about Rahm Emanuel.

He is going to be coming back from Japan because as you noted, a new White House Trump will be coming in to the White to know what is next for not dancy chair which his buddy David Axelrod trying to throw out his name maybe Senator Durbin seats may be running for Governor Pritzker doesn't run, but I don't think that's going to happen.

It may be mayor.

>> Maybe Marion mayor, do we think that wrong with power, ball to Chicago voters, particularly the progressive wing of the Democratic Party, still upsets.

>> You know, could there be pining for kind of like the way things You know, I don't know.

it's been rocky road.

Let's say lead to think about the mayor's race, but not really.

already had names floated right?

>> Im so that it speaking of change, we have a new state's attorney in Cook County.

That is Eileen O'Neill, Burke and right away, she vowed to crack.

>> Closed captioning is made possible by Clifford and