The Joint Committee on Health and Human Relations and Public Safety meets to discuss the 2023-2024 hate crimes report on Thursday, June 27, 2024. [Livestream]

The war between Israel and Hamas in Gaza has led to an increase in antisemitism and Islamophobia, the Chicago Commission on Human Relations (CCHR) concluded in its first annual report under the amended hate crimes ordinance. 

The City Council Joint Committee on Public Safety and Health and Human Relations received a presentation Thursday on the annual report, which covered reported instances of hate in 2023 and up to June 13 this year. 

Cook County Treasurer Maria Pappas attends 2024 budget hearings in October 2023. [Livestream]

Property tax bills for Tax Year 2023 for homeowners in the south and southwest suburbs of Cook County jumped significantly while businesses in the area got big breaks, an analysis by the county treasurer’s office released this morning shows.

That stark disparity is driven by a mix of higher home values, the elimination of a COVID-era assessment reduction and businesses successfully appealing their valuations before the Board of Review, according to the treasurer’s office.

Ald. William Hall (6), chair of the revenue subcommittee, is pictured at a City Council meeting in November. [Don Vincent/The Daily Line]

The City Council Finance Subcommittee on Revenue held its inaugural meeting on Wednesday but did not propose any of the myriad tax or fee policy proposals presented in a survey circulated among City Council members last week. 

The subcommittee, chaired by first-term Ald. William Hall (6), was formed in October and tasked with finding new revenue sources for the city.

Renderings show the proposed 29-unit apartment building that will replace the buildings currently at 3627, 3631 and 3633 N. Sheffield Ave. [44th Ward website] 

The City Council zoning committee on Tuesday advanced a development proposal to replace three historic residences outside Wrigley Field with a 29-unit apartment building.

But two other major projects — one development proposed next to the planned Bally’s Casino and a Sterling Bay development near the planned Lincoln Yards — were deferred, along with several other big housing project proposals.

City Hall is seen in a file photo.

The City Council Committee on Immigrant and Refugee Rights on Wednesday will hold the first subject matter hearing under a measure passed this spring that calls for alderpeople to receive regular tallies of migrants evicted from city-run shelters under its 60-day shelter stay policy.

The committee will meet at 11:45 a.m. in council chambers.

The county announced a $20 million investment in stormwater management projects countywide, and the city’s revenue subcommittee will discuss strategies for bringing in new dollars to the city’s coffers on Wednesday.

Acting zoning chair Bennett Lawson is pictured in October 2023. [Don Vincent/The Daily Line]

The City Council Committee on Zoning, Landmarks and Building Standards will meet Tuesday to consider a proposal to replace three historic residences next to Wrigley Field with an apartment building, consider approval of the Sterling Bay development opposed by the local alderperson and consider approval of a new residential development along the west branch of the Chicago River.

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

President Toni Preckwinkle gives her 2024 budget address in October 2023. [Don Vincent/The Daily Line]

Cook County is projecting a $218.2 million budget gap for Fiscal Year 2025, county officials said Tuesday, and although County Board President Toni Preckwinkle said she wouldn’t speculate much about how she intends to close the gap before the fall, she said taxes, fees and layoffs were not on the table.

The board president expressed confidence in the county's finance team to construct balanced budget plan as usual and said she wasn't losing sleep over the upcoming budget.

Mayor Brandon Johnson presides over a City Council meeting on June 12, 2024. [Don Vincent/The Daily Line]

Mayor Brandon Johnson’s office on Thursday announced the creation of a nine-member co-governance steering committee to help city government make decisions more collaboratively with community members.

Ald. Matt Martin is pictured at a council meeting June 12, 2024. [Don Vincent/The Daily Line]

Ald. Matt Martin (47) was joined by several City Council colleagues and a coalition of progressive and good government organizations Tuesday to call for passage of his ordinance to allow for public financing of aldermanic campaigns.

“Our current campaign finance system is broken,” said Martin during a news conference at City Hall Tuesday. “Too often it forces candidates to rely heavily on a few big special interest donors on their campaigns.”

The ordinance (O2024-0010156) was introduced at last week’s City Council meeting and referred to the Committee on Committees and Rules.

Mayor Brandon Johnson presides over a City Council meeting June 12, 2024. [Don Vincent/The Daily Line]

Mayor Brandon Johnson signed an executive order Monday that establishes a task force to study reparations for Black Chicagoans and recommend policies to carry out a “Black Reparations Agenda.”

The announcement follows the allocation of $500,000 in the 2024 city budget to study reparations.

Tirrell Paxton speaks during a county Legislation and Intergovernmental Relations Committee meeting on June 12, 2024. [Livestream] 

The Cook County Board of Commissioners approved the appointment of a new independent inspector general Thursday, the first permanent inspector general since Pat Blanchard, who retired in 2022.

Mayor Brandon Johnson announces 10 Community Development Grant awardees at Parkway Ballroom in Bronzeville on June 13, 2024. [Livestream]

The mayor announced the first recipients of his signature Housing and Economic Development Bond program on Thursday. A community farm in West Englewood and an Austin health center are each set to receive $5 million to assist with construction costs, Mayor Brandon Johnson announced at a news conference.

The mayor told reporters Wednesday he continues to support the appointment of a current aldermanic staff member to the civilian police oversight commission, and the commissioner for the Department of Business Affairs and Consumer Protection is retiring.

Ald. Bill Conway (34) embraces a volunteer clinic escort on June 12, 2024 after his ordinance to designate the area around an abortion clinic in his ward as a quiet zone was approved. [Don Vincent/The Daily Line]

Two alderpeople postponed a vote on a measure to codify prohibitions on lobbyist donations to mayoral campaigns at City Council Wednesday, and the council also approved a measure that places noise regulations around a West Loop abortion clinic after it faced its own delay last month.