Aldermen to Introduce Amendments, Ordinances to Mayor Lightfoot’s Budget

Lawndale News Chicago's Bilingual Newspaper - Business

Lawndale News Chicago's Bilingual Newspaper - Business

A pool of aldermen plan to introduce a series of budget amendments and ordinances to Mayor Lori Lightfoot’s proposed 2021 budget. The package includes: a tax on Amazon and other logistics sector corporations that have profited handsomely during the pandemic; a proposal to shut down several downtown-adjacent TIF districts ahead of schedule; an ordinance to close CPD’s Homan Square black site; and an amendment to send trained mental health workers, not armed police officers, to respond to mental health crises. The set of amendments and ordinances are being introduced with support from organizations and campaigns including: United Working Families, Chicago Torture Justice Center, The #LetUsBreathe Collective, Grassroots Collaborative, Brighton Park Neighborhood Council, Chicago Democratic Socialists of America, Black Lives Matter Chicago, Live Free Chicago, and the #DefundCPD Campaign. More information on the amendments and ordinances to be introduced today is provided below.

Amazon Tax: This legislation would levy a head tax on every Chicago employer in the logistics industry (e.g. Amazon, Walmart, Target) who, in connection with the employer’s business, employs or contracts with 50 or more people. The tax would be $16/month for each employee and generate an estimated $5.76 million annually for the city. Sponsors: Byron Sigcho-Lopez and Roberto Maldonado (co-leads), Maria Hadden, Matt Martin, Carlos Ramirez-Rosa, Michael Rodriguez, Rossana Rodriguez Sanchez, Jeanette B. Taylor, Andre Vasquez 

TIF Sunset Amendments: This legislation would terminate the Kingsbury, Kinzie and Canal/Congress, and Central West TIF Districts ahead of schedule. These TIF districts will no longer collect annual incremental tax revenue and these dollars will be redirected to taxing bodies, returning $39,734,341.15 to Chicago. Sponsors: Byron Sigcho-Lopez (lead), Carlos Ramirez-Rosa, Rossana Rodriguez Sanchez, Jeanette B. Taylor

Close Homan Square Ordinance: This ordinance would require the Chicago Police Department to stop utilizing the Homan Square “black site” by March 1, 2021 and to begin a community input process to determine the future use of the facility. Sponsors: Carlos Ramirez-Rosa (lead), Maria Hadden, Daniel La Spata, Matt Martin, Michael Rodriguez, Rossana Rodriguez Sanchez, Byron Sigcho-Lopez, Jeanette B. Taylor, Andre Vasquez 

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