Ja’Mal Green and supporters held a news conference Wednesday after a challenge to his petitions was withdrawn. [Erin Hegarty/The Daily Line] 

In a complete reversal from what each of their campaigns were arguing Tuesday, mayoral candidates Ja’Mal Green and Willie Wilson and their supporters on Wednesday withdrew challenges to each other’s petitions to get on the Feb. 28 ballot. With the motions to withdraw submitted, Green and Wilson have secured their spots on next year’s ballot. 

The motions to withdraw the challenges come just one day after both Green’s and Wilson’s campaigns argued for hours before a hearing officer for why the other should be kicked off the ballot, lobbing accusations of fake signatures and patterns of fraud and calling into question multiple people’s residencies. 

Attorneys and district council candidates attend a hearing Tuesday on whether three sets of candidates can file petitions as a slate. [Erin Hegarty/The Daily Line]  

Three sets of candidates and their attorney running on separate slates for the city’s new police district councils in the Feb. 28 election argued Tuesday that nothing in the ordinance that established the district councils prohibits candidates for the newly created positions from filing petitions to get on the ballot as a slate and running for election on the slate. 

Aldermen introduced new proposals during the December City Council meeting. [Erin Hegarty/The Daily Line]

Aldermen introduced a slew of new proposed legislation last week ranging from an ordinance that would use federal American Rescue Plan Act dollars to bring property tax relief to homeowners to the reintroduction of a measure to ask voters whether they want to increase the real estate transfer tax to help fund homelessness services. But the clock is ticking to get those measures passed before the City Council and mayoral terms ends and a new term begins May 15. 

Comm. Alma Anaya (D-7) speaks about a proposal to create a countywide property tax relief loan program during a Board of Commissioners meeting Dec. 15. [Cook County Board of Commissioners livestream]

The Cook County Board of Commissioners is considering creating a program to provide relief to homeowners who have seen their property taxes increase tremendously in the past year. Three commissioners are sponsoring a piece of legislation expected to be tweaked in the county’s finance committee.

Nearly 1 in 4 candidates who filed petitions to run for police district council seats are facing petition challenges. [Don Vincent/The Daily Line] 

Twenty-nine of the 122 candidates who filed petitions to run for the city’s new police district councils in the Feb. 28 election are facing challenges to their petition signatures and a coalition of police accountability organizations held a news conference Thursday to give an overall status update on the first-of-their-kind elections.  

The Cook County Board of Commissioners convened its last meeting of 2022 but the first of a new board, while the board president touted the first payments distributed from the county’s guaranteed basic income program. Meanwhile, a new, unique cannabis research center is coming to Chicago.

Ald. Anabel Abarca (12) and Mayor Lori Lightfoot shake hands Wednesday. [Don Vincent/The Daily Line] 

The City Council during its final meeting of the year approved a new tax-increment financing (TIF) district that will help fund the long-sought extension of the Red Line south, confirmed a new alderman and approved a planning ordinance for Bally’s casino. 

The City Council will consider a packed agenda Wednesday during its final meeting of the year. Aldermen are set to confirm a new 12th Ward alderman and vote on zoning amendments for the Chicago casino and the creation of a new tax-increment financing (TIF) district to fund the Red Line Extension south. 

CTA President Dorval Carter speaks to alderman Monday. [Erin Hegarty/The Daily Line]  

The proposal to create a new tax-increment financing (TIF) district that is expected to fund $959 million of the CTA’s $3.6 billion extension of the Red Line to Chicago’s southern boundary gained nearly unanimous approval from a key City Council committee Monday, teeing the measure up for final council approval Wednesday. 

Concept art for the planned Bally’s casino, hotel and other amenities are shown during the Dec. 12, 2022 Chicago Plan Commission meeting. [Chicago Plan Commission livestream]

The Chicago Plan Commission on Monday approved changes to the planned development for the forthcoming Bally’s casino property at 643-741 W. Chicago Ave. and 641-739 N. Halsted St. The site is proposed to include a casino, hotel, museum and event center.

Attorneys for Willie Wilson and Ja’Mal Green sit at a table for a petition challenge hearing Monday. [Erin Hegarty/The Daily Line] 

Mayoral candidates and their attorneys traded barbs Monday as the Chicago Board of Elections kicked off hearings for challenges to candidates’ petition signatures to get on the Feb. 28 municipal election ballot.

Mayor Lori Lightfoot picked Anabel Abarca as the next 12th Ward alderman. [Friends of Anabel Abarca/anabelfor12.com]

Mayor Lori Lightfoot picked Anabel Abarca to serve as the next 12th Ward alderman, marking the fourth appointment to the City Council Lightfoot has made this term.

Maps show the areas in dark-gray where property tax increment will be used to pay for the Red Line Extension. [CTA/SB Friedman Advisors] 

A proposal for a new tax increment financing (TIF) district to fund $950 million for the CTA’s extension of the Red Line train south from 95th Street to 130th Street could gain initial approval Monday as a key committee is scheduled to vote on the proposal ahead of Wednesday’s City Council meeting.   

Ald. Anthony Napolitano (41) during a Friday committee meeting. [City of Chicago livestream] 

A Chicago alderman is hoping the city will consider finding ways to help police officers and other city employees pay for “innovative” treatments for symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder. 

A rendering of Bally’s casino proposal. [Bally’s] 

The Chicago Plan Commission is set to hold a virtual meeting at 10 a.m. Monday, marking the commission’s final meeting of the year with a light agenda that includes a proposed planned development amendment that would bring the Chicago casino one step closer to reality.  https://chicago.legistar.com/LegislationDetail.aspx?ID=5841535&GUID=7AB25BF5-C37E-402F-9EB7-F688612A338F&Options=Advanced&Search=