Erin Hegarty has covered City Hall for The Daily Line since September 2020. She previously covered the City of Naperville for the Naperville Sun/Chicago Tribune for four years, and prior to that covered the northwest suburbs for the Daily Herald. Erin enjoys biking around the city and eating her way through different neighborhoods.
Contact Erin at [email protected]
Bio
Covering Chicago City Hall for @thedailylinechi. Send tips to [email protected]. More coffee, always.
NOV 06, 2020
John Tully, commissioner of the city’s Department of Streets and Sanitation, on Friday is expected to provide details on the department’s proposed 2021 budget.Aldermen are scheduled Friday to finish their second full week of budget hearings by probing the budgets of the city’s Department of Streets and Sanitation and Department of Public Health.
Aldermen on Friday to review proposed budget increases for streets and sanitation, public health departments
John Tully, commissioner of the city’s Department of Streets and Sanitation, on Friday is expec...
NOV 06, 2020
Mark Kelly, Commissioner of the city’s Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events on Thursday detailed the department’s proposed 2021 budget.Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events Comm. Mark Kelly on Thursday answered questions on his department’s proposed budget, which he said does not include funding for the Taste of Chicago or the Air and Water Show in 2021 due “to the realities of a pandemic budget.” The cancelations are expected to save the city $9 million.
Aldermen probe DCASE budget that nixes funding for Taste of Chicago, Air and Water Show
Mark Kelly, Commissioner of the city’s Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events on Thu...
NOV 05, 2020
Mark Kelly, commissioner of the Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events, is expected to detail the department’s budget to aldermen on Thursday.City Council budget hearings will continue Thursday after marathon hearings Wednesday that lasted more than ten hours. Thursday’s budget hearings will consider the proposed budgets of the Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events, Department of Buildings, Department of Procurement Services and the Office of Public Safety Administration.
City Council budget hearings continue Thursday with special events, buildings, procurement departments and public safety administration
Mark Kelly, commissioner of the Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events, is expected ...
NOV 05, 2020
Maurice Cox, commissioner of the Department of Planning and Development, and First Deputy Commissioner Eleanor Gorski on Wednesday addressed aldermen regarding the department’s proposed 2021 budget.Aldermen on Wednesday alternated taking jabs at Chicago Department of Planning and Development Comm. Maurice Cox for what they called a lack of communication with the elected officials and their ward offices.
Aldermen rail on planning department commissioner for lack of communication, community involvement
Maurice Cox, commissioner of the Department of Planning and Development, and First Deputy Commi...
NOV 04, 2020
Department of Planning and Development Comm. Maurice Cox speaks to aldermen in February. [The Daily Line/Heather Cherone]Budget hearings return Wednesday with planning, housing and assets, information and services departments
Department of Planning and Development Comm. Maurice Cox speaks to aldermen in February. [The D...
NOV 03, 2020
Chicago Inspector General Joseph Ferguson presented his department’s budget to aldermen on MondayChicago Inspector General Joseph Ferguson on Monday slammed leaders of the Chicago Police Department for slow progress on meeting deadlines for its federally-imposed consent decree.
City Inspector General criticizes Chicago Police Department for lack of progress on consent decree
Chicago Inspector General Joseph Ferguson presented his department’s budget to aldermen on Mond...
NOV 02, 2020
Aldermen on Monday will hear from the Department of Water Management, Office of Inspector General, Department of Human ResourcesCity Council hearings on the proposed 2021 budget resume Monday morning as aldermen are scheduled to hear from the Office of Inspector General, Department of Human Resources and Department of Water Management.
Budget hearings resume Monday with Inspector General, human resources and water departments
Aldermen on Monday will hear from the Department of Water Management, Office of Inspector Gener...
NOV 02, 2020
Chicago Department of Transportation Commissioner Gia Biagi on Friday fielded aldermen’s questions on the department’s $772 million budget proposed for 2021.Streetlight repairs, pedestrian safety, bike lanes and speed cameras were hot topics among aldermen during a City Council budget hearing Friday.
Aldermen press transportation chief on streetlight repairs, bike lanes, e-scooters
Chicago Department of Transportation Commissioner Gia Biagi on Friday fielded aldermen’s questi...
OCT 30, 2020
Chicago Police Supt. David Brown speaking at an event in Woodlawn during the summer of 2020.As some aldermen on Thursday sustained their calls for new alternatives to policing and for money to be diverted from the Chicago Police Department, others contrasted that demand and made a call for more officers on the street.
Aldermen push for policing alternatives as their colleagues call for more officers on the streets
Chicago Police Supt. David Brown speaking at an event in Woodlawn during the summer of 2020.As ...
OCT 29, 2020
The Chicago Police Department could see a 3.3 percent reduction in funding compared to 2020, far short of satisfying calls to “defund the police.”Aldermen are expected to spend the day Thursday scrutinizing the Chicago Police Department in a hearing on the department’s proposed 2021 budget.
Chicago Police Department’s proposed $1.7 billion budget to face scrutiny from aldermen
The Chicago Police Department could see a 3.3 percent reduction in funding compared to 2020, fa...
OCT 29, 2020
Acting Commissioner of Chicago Public Library Mary Ellen Messner on Wednesday discussed the library’s $112 million proposed budget for 2021.At a time when other city departments are likely facing drops in funding going into 2021, Chicago Public Library could see a hike in its funding, largely due to an increase in state grant funding.
Chicago Public Library could see funding increase, $23K hike in commissioner salary in 2021
Acting Commissioner of Chicago Public Library Mary Ellen Messner on Wednesday discussed the lib...
OCT 28, 2020
Chicago City Treasurer Melissa Conyears-Ervin speaks to aldermen during a budget hearing on TuesdayPressed by aldermen Tuesday on how to leverage the city’s $8.5 billion in investment assets to battle systemic racism in the banking industry, Chicago Treasurer Melissa Conyears-Ervin turned the tables back on the City Council, urging them to widen the landscape of lending institutions where the city can park its funds.
Widening city’s investment net could help fight systemic racism in banking, Conyears-Ervin tells aldermen
Chicago City Treasurer Melissa Conyears-Ervin speaks to aldermen during a budget hearing on Tue...
OCT 28, 2020
Chicago City Clerk Anna Valencia on Tuesday answered questions on the department’s 2021 budget during a hearing overseen by Ald. Pat Dowell.Aldermen on Tuesday raised concerns about vacancies in the Office of the City Clerk as the department going into 2021 will begin modernizing the City Council management system and continue its issuance of city stickers, residential parking permits and CityKeys to residents in need.
Aldermen raise concerns over staffing, decreased budget for City Clerk’s office heading into 2021
Chicago City Clerk Anna Valencia on Tuesday answered questions on the department’s 2021 budget ...
OCT 27, 2020
A Chicago elections worker sorts mail-in ballots. [Facebook/Chicago Board of Election Commissioners]
Budget hearings continue Tuesday with City Clerk, Treasurer, Board of Election Commissioners, License Appeal Commission
A Chicago elections worker sorts mail-in ballots. [Facebook/Chicago Board of Election Commissio...
OCT 27, 2020
Chief Financial Officer Jennie Huang Bennett and Budget Director Susie Park respond to questions from aldermen on the 2021 budget proposal on Monday.Aldermen on Monday took quick aim at Mayor Lori Lightfoot’s proposed $94 million property tax hike and potential city layoffs to help close the 2021 budget gap, urging city officials to look elsewhere for new revenue and savings.
Aldermen push against property tax hike, bristle at layoffs and furloughs: ‘This is going to be the hard vote for me’
Chief Financial Officer Jennie Huang Bennett and Budget Director Susie Park respond to question...
OCT 26, 2020
Hearings on Mayor Lori Lightfoot’s proposed 2021 budget begin Monday.Hearings on the 2021 “pandemic budget” proposed by Mayor Lori Lightfoot last week are set to begin Monday as the city’s top financial officers acknowledge they are looking at so-called scoop-and-toss-measures, in addition to a $94 million property tax hike among other moves, to fill the historic $1.2 billion budget hole.
Budget hearings begin Monday as city officials acknowledge ‘scoop and toss’ measure proposed to fill 2021 revenue gap
Hearings on Mayor Lori Lightfoot’s proposed 2021 budget begin Monday.Hearings on the 2021 “pand...
OCT 23, 2020
Aldermen Thursday advanced a proposal to sell city-owned parcels for the construction and sale of affordable housing in the 26th Ward.A proposal to sell multiple city-owned parcels in the 26th Ward for the construction and sale of affordable housing and a proposal for the city to buy land next to the planned Police and Fire Training Academy in the 37th Ward for the construction of two restaurants will both move forward to the City Council for approval following committee votes on Thursday.
Aldermen advance proposals to sell city parcels for affordable housing, acquire land for restaurants near planned police academy
Aldermen Thursday advanced a proposal to sell city-owned parcels for the construction and sale ...
OCT 22, 2020
Mayor Lori Lightfoot in her budget proposal plans to shift $55 million in costs to Chicago Public Schools (Photo credit: Stacey Rupolo/Chalkbeat)
In Mayor Lori Lightfoot’s efforts to close a $1.2 billion gap in the city budget, City Hall will shift more costs onto Chicago Public Schools.
In a budget plan detailed Wednesday, which includes a property tax hike and job cuts, the mayor proposed shifting about $55 million in costs onto schools. But she offered a sweetener: additional funds from a tax surplus account, which would ostensibly cover the costs for this year and then some.
City Hall to shift $55 million in costs onto Chicago Public Schools
Mayor Lori Lightfoot in her budget proposal plans to shift $55 million in costs to Chicago Publi...
OCT 22, 2020
Mayor Lori Lightfoot on Wednesday outlined her second city budget, a spending plan that relies in part on hikes in property and gas taxes, potential layoffs and furloughs for city employees and the refinancing of city debt.
Lightfoot proposes $12.8 billion budget with increases in property and gas taxes as of city layoffs loom
Mayor Lori Lightfoot on Wednesday outlined her second city budget, a spending plan that relies in...
OCT 21, 2020
News in brief: Preckwinkle proposes no layoffs, small tax hike in Forest Preserves budget; City adds five states to travel quarantine list as cases rise
TDL Chicago Morning Briefs: Wednesday, October 21st
News in brief: Preckwinkle proposes no layoffs, small tax hike in Forest Preserves budget; City a...
Bio
Covering Chicago City Hall for @thedailylinechi. Send tips to [email protected]. More coffee, always.
