The Cook County flag flies over the county government building. [Don Vincent/The Daily Line]

The Cook County Commission on Social Innovation will hold a meeting Thursday, during which the commission will hear from a set of guest speakers from the Center for Justice Innovation. The meeting begins at 4 p.m. Thursday in the conference room on the fourth floor of the county building in downtown Chicago. 

The rules committee and the City Council will meet after Mayor Brandon Johnson’s budget address Wednesday. And the housing committee approved several sales of city-owned land Tuesday.

Tipped workers will be paid the same minimum wage as their counterparts who don’t earn tips by 2028 under an ordinance (SO2023-0002995) approved in a 36-10 vote by the City Council Friday.

Proponents of the wage increase argued it will provide more financial stability for workers and families, particularly Black and brown women, and bridge a pay equity gap. Opponents argued the measure will force restaurants to shutter or move to the suburbs due to cost increases of paying workers more.   

The City Council Committee on Housing and Real Estate will meet at 9 a.m. Tuesday to consider several proposed land sales and other ordinances.

Cook County’s health and hospitals system will hold two regular meetings this week, and the county forest preserve district is launching an informational endeavor to warn visitors about using undesignated trails that harm habitats.

Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle gives her 2024 budget address on Oct. 5, 2023. [Don Vincent/The Daily Line]

Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle unveiled a $9.14 billion proposed 2024 budget Thursday that includes no new taxes or fees but eliminates hundreds of vacant positions.

The county board president presented her proposed spending plan, which is a 3.9 percent increase over the previous year’s, during an address before a special meeting of the County Board of Commissioners. The proposed budget consists of a $7.63 billion operating budget and a $1.51 billion capital budget for debt service, capital improvements and pension obligations. 

Ald. Brendan Reilly (42) speaks during Wednesday’s City Council meeting. [Don Vincent/The Daily Line]
 

Ald. Brendan Reilly (42) and Ald. Anthony Beale (9) on Wednesday renewed their push to give the City Council its own legal counsel separate from the city’s top attorney. 

Ald. Michael Rodriguez (22) (right, foreground) and Ald. Brendan Reilly (42) both stand during Wednesday’s City Council meeting [Don Vincent/The Daily Line]

As was expected, the City Council vote on the proposal to phase out Chicago’s subminimum wage for tipped workers was delayed from Wednesday to Friday due to an error by the City Clerk’s office. But the work done by alderpeople to reschedule the vote for Friday and the attempts to block the rescheduled vote harkened back to the parliamentary maneuvering often seen under Mayor Lori Lightfoot’s administration. 

Cook County officials answer budget questions during a media briefing Wednesday. [Livestream]

Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle is expected to unveil a $9.14 billion spending proposal for 2024 during her annual budget address Thursday before the Cook County Board of Commissioners. 

During a presentation to reporters Wednesday, county budget officials revealed the budget proposal for the upcoming fiscal year — consisting of a proposed $7.63 billion operating budget and a $1.51 billion proposed capital budget for debt service and pension obligations.

County officials also laid out a plan to temporarily sustain and assess long-term funding for programs that are currently being funded by one-time allocations of federal pandemic relief money. 

Mayor Brandon Johnson announced new conditions for NASCAR’s race series next summer. Johnson also told reporters on Wednesday he plans to travel to the country’s southern border to see firsthand what the migrant crisis looks like, and the county has released a digital accessibility plan.

Proponents of eliminating the tipped minimum wage during a September news conference. [Erin Hegarty/The Daily Line]

The City Council was supposed to vote on the proposal to eliminate the so-called subminimum wage for tipped workers during Wednesday’s meeting but an error in posting a portion of the agenda by the City Clerk’s office means the final vote will be delayed until Friday.  

The council’s Committee on Workforce Development approved a modified version of the ordinance to phase out the subminimum wage over five years last month. 

Related: Committee sends proposal to eliminate tipped minimum wage to City Council for final vote in October

15th Ward Ald. Raymond Lopez announces his candidacy for Congress on Oct. 3, 2023 in Berwyn. [Provided photo]

Ald. Raymond Lopez (15) announced Tuesday he will challenge U.S. Rep. Jesus “Chuy” García (D-Ill.) in the Democratic primary election this spring in Illinois’ 4th Congressional District.

Lopez, who was recently re-elected to the Chicago City Council after toying with a run for mayor, announced his congressional candidacy at Jardin Restaurant in Berwyn. 

Chicago’s Chief Sustainability Officer Angela Tovar speaks during a meeting Tuesday. [City of Chicago livestream]

While several people were critical of a study that examined how different areas of the city are affected by environmental, health and social factors because of how the study uses census tracts to determine which areas face the heaviest burdens, city officials and alderpeople said the analysis is just the first step in ensuring environmental justice for all Chicagoans.   

Officials stressed the importance of working with community organizations and individuals who are disproportionately affected by pollution and other social issues and allowing them to help find solutions. 

Mayor Brandon Johnson signed an executive order creating a new Chief Homelessness Officer position. A proposal to require permits for new Little Free Libraries passed a key committee Tuesday. A separate council committee approved an ordinance that in part accepts a $50 million grant for the police department related to the 2024 Democratic National Convention.

The finance committee during the September meeting. [City of Chicago livestream]

A new City Council subcommittee, if approved Wednesday, would be chaired by a first-term alderperson and tasked with helping the city find new revenue sources. The City Council will vote on creating the subcommittee just one week before Mayor Brandon Johnson is set to formally introduce his first budget proposal.