The flag of Cook County is pictured. [Don Vincent/The Daily Line]

Cook County President Toni Preckwinkle announced the launch of the second phase of the county’s down payment assistance program on Wednesday. The program provides subsidies to homebuyers equal to 5 percent of a home's sale price, up to $25,000, to help people buy single-family homes, townhouses or condominiums.

Alderpeople on Thursday will hold a hearing on a proposed new police traffic stop policy, and the board of ethics’ rule and regulation changes are slated to go into effect next month after being submitted to the City Council.

A rendering of the Harvest Homes II Apartment project in East Garfield Park. [Department of Planning and Development]

The Chicago Plan Commission on Thursday will consider projects including a gas station renovation in Uptown, a photography studio expansion in West Town and a new residential development in East Garfield Park. 

The plan commission will meet at 10 a.m. in Room 201A at City Hall.

Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle speaks about the county's medical debt forgiveness program on June 6, 2025. [Office of the Board President Facebook page]

While Cook County budget officials are currently forecasting a manageable budget gap for the upcoming fiscal year, they also stress that the estimate doesn’t really tell the whole story.

Federal budget legislation currently under consideration in the U.S. Senate could change things for the county’s finances and its health system by the time budget season kicks off in October.

City Hall is pictured. [Don Vincent/The Daily Line]

Ald. Gilbert Villegas (36) introduced a resolution (R2025-0018089) during Wednesday’s City Council meeting to begin the process of exploring the establishment of a city charter.

Ald. Gilbert Villegas (36) is pictured at a City Council meeting in May 2023. [Don Vincent/The Daily Line]

Two aldermen put forward a measure at last week’s City Council meeting to exempt the parts of their wards that fall under an anti-gentrification ordinance from the law, months after its most controversial component went into effect.

Ald. Bill Conway (34) is pictured at a City Council meeting on June 18, 2025. [Don Vincent/The Daily Line]

A group of alderpeople are calling on the Chicago Transit Authority (CTA) to step up its enforcement of the transit system’s anti-smoking rules and introduced a resolution (R2025-0018153) Wednesday that calls on the CTA to increase transparency around reported smoking violations and develop new strategies for collecting on citations and reprimanding repeat offenders. 

From left, Alds. Jason Ervin (28), Greg Mitchell (7) and Brian Hopkins (2) are pictured at a City Council meeting on June 18, 2025. [Don Vincent/The Daily Line]

Alderpeople on Wednesday approved a controversial ordinance to give Chicago police the power to implement temporary curfews to curb incidents of rowdy and sometimes violent “teen takeovers,” the most high-profile of which tend to happen in the heart of downtown during the summer.

But Mayor Brandon Johnson, who has repeatedly argued curfews don't work, said after the meeting he will veto it, and there doesn’t appear to be enough votes to overturn that. 

The City Council also approved ordinances to crack down on illegal fly dumping and unlicensed pedicab operators and an ordinance to extend a partial ticket debt forgiveness program. 

The City Council is pictured during a Dec. 16. 2024 meeting. [Don Vincent/The Daily Line]

Alderpeople on Wednesday will face votes on an ordinance to allow the Chicago Police Department to enact “snap” curfews to curb teen takeovers, an ordinance to give council members more control over the number of short-term vacation rentals in their wards and an ordinance to extend a partial ticket debt forgiveness program. 

The City Council will also consider whether to revive a push from the council’s ethics chair to enhance the independence of the Office of the Inspector General (OIG) in relation to the city’s law department. The council meets at 10 a.m. 

The Harris Trust and Savings Bank building at 111 W. Monroe St. is pictured. [Chicago Department of Planning and Development presentation]

The City Council Committee on Zoning, Landmarks and Building Standards on Tuesday deferred a vote on a measure that would enact new regulations on public-facing signs in windows, held an ordinance in committee that would have implemented recommendations from Mayor Brandon Johnson’s Cut the Tape initiative but approved a historic landmark designation for an office-to-housing conversion project and approved the use of a downtown retail space for a cannabis dispensary.

The approved items will be considered at Wednesday’s City Council meeting, which convenes at 10 a.m.

Finance Chair Pat Dowell is pictured during a City Council meeting on June 12, 2024. [Don Vincent/The Daily Line]

The City Council Committee on Finance on Monday approved nearly $25 million in police misconduct settlements, changes to a city employee charitable contribution program and an extension of a program that partially forgives ticket debt.

The Harris Trust and Savings Bank building at 111 W. Monroe St. is pictured. [Chicago Department of Planning and Development presentation]

The City Council Committee on Zoning, Landmarks and Building Standards on Tuesday will consider a proposal that’s part of Mayor Brandon Johnson’s plan to cut bureaucratic hurdles, a landmark designation crucial to a downtown office-to-housing conversion project and a proposed downtown cannabis dispensary. 

The zoning committee will meet at 10 a.m. in council chambers.

Workforce Development Chair Mike Rodriguez (22) is pictured at a City Council meeting in March 2023. [Don Vincent/The Daily Line]

The City Council Committee on Workforce Development on Monday could hold a vote on a sweeping proposal to improve conditions and pay for rideshare drivers after the item was delayed in committee last week.

Ald. Pat Dowell (3), the finance committee chair, is pictured at a City Council meeting on June 12, 2024. [Don Vincent/The Daily Line]

The City Council Committee on Finance on Monday will consider multiple legal settlements, tax increment financing (TIF) agreements and airport project bonds. The committee will meet at 10 a.m. in council chambers.

Ald. Greg Mitchell (7), chair of the transportation committee, is pictured at a council meeting on April 7, 2025. [Don Vincent/The Daily Line]

The City Council’s transportation committee on Wednesday delayed votes on an ordinance to implement an automated enforcement system for drivers that illegally overtake school buses and a measure to establish a pilot program to provide safe travel for youth in Austin, but it approved an ordinance to crack down on illegal vehicle dumping.