Department of Buildings Comm. Marlene Hopkins answers questions from Ald. Byron Sigcho-Lopez (25) about staffing cuts and vacancies on Nov. 7, 2024. [Livestream]

The mayor’s “Cut the Tape” initiative, which aims to speed up the time it takes to get residential and commercial developments completed by cutting unnecessary city bureaucratic processes, is paying off with shorter permit processing times, alderpeople were told during the Department of Buildings’ budget hearing Thursday evening.

MWRD Comms. Kari Steele, Marcelino Garcia and Precious Brady-Davis and commissioner-elect Sharon Waller. [MWRD website/Waller campaign site]

Three Democrats retained their seats on the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District (MWRD) of Greater Chicago’s Board of Commissioners Tuesday night, and a fourth Democrat is set to replace an outgoing commissioner.

People United for Action Chairman Rod Wilson speaks alongside union-endorsed school board candidates at Chicago Teachers Union headquarters on Election Night. [Michael McDevitt/The Daily Line]

In the city’s first-ever Chicago Board of Education elections, candidates backed by the powerful Chicago Teachers Union (CTU) were leading or had won in just four of the 10 races on Tuesday night. Three races were seemingly on track to be won by candidates backed by groups in support of charter school and school choice, and three more were on track to be won by candidates that were not endorsed by the competing interests in the race.

An appointed Cook County commissioner won in an unopposed election Tuesday night. A Board of Review member won reelection, and the Circuit Court of Cook County will welcome a new clerk after Tuesday’s election. 

Cook County Comm. Tara Stamps (D-1) is pictured at a county board meeting in September 2023. [Don Vincent/The Daily Line]

Cook County Comm. Tara Stamps (D-1) was declared the victor Tuesday night in the special election to serve out the remainder of Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson’s unexpired County Board of Commissioners term. The Associated Press called the race for Stamps just after 8:30 p.m. Tuesday.

Cook County Comm. Monica Gordon (D-5) is pictured at a September 2023 board meeting. [Don Vincent/The Daily Line]

Cook County Comm. Monica Gordon (D-5) has won the race for Cook County Clerk, after the Associated Press called the race Tuesday evening.

Former Illinois Appellate Court Justice Eileen O’Neill Burke speaks to reporters before filing her nominating petitions in the state's attorney race last December. [Michael McDevitt/The Daily Line]

Former Illinois Appellate Court Justice Eileen O’Neill Burke has won the race to become the next Cook County State’s Attorney after being declared the winner Tuesday evening in the race to succeed outgoing State’s Attorney Kim Foxx. The Associated Press declared O’Neill Burke the victor Tuesday just before 9 p.m.

In a statement after declaring victory, O'Neill Burke said she was "honored" to take on the role.

From left to right, Anusha Thotakura, Jessica Biggs, Andre Smith and Danielle Wallace. [Photos either provided by campaign or taken from campaign materials. Wallace picture taken from Kingdom Avenue Inc. website]

Jessica Biggs, Anusha Thotakura and Andre Smith are all on the ballot in the race to represent District 6 on the partially elected Chicago Board of Education next year.

A fourth candidate, Danielle Wallace, is also running as a write-in candidate in the district, which includes the Near North Side and Near South Side, encompassing Streeterville, River North, Cabrini Green, parts of the Loop, parts of West Town and some of Wicker Park as well as Englewood, Grand Boulevard, Washington Park, much of Greater Grand Crossing and parts of Woodlawn, Hyde Park and Bronzeville.

Mayor Brandon Johnson is pictured at a City Council meeting in April 2024. [Don Vincent/The Daily Line]

Chicago is facing a nearly billion-dollar budget gap for the upcoming fiscal year, a tough financial situation that will necessitate “collaborative solutions and strategic planning,” Mayor Brandon Johnson announced Thursday morning as the city unveiled its 2025 budget forecast.

NASCAR will return for a street race in the final year of its multi-year deal with the city, and the Chicago Transit Authority (CTA) announced the debut of a new system to crack down on gun crime.

City Hall is pictured in this file photo.

Alderpeople on the City Council’s immigration committee approved an ordinance Thursday that compels the city’s Department of Family and Support Services (DFSS) to publish regular tallies of migrant evictions from the city’s temporary shelters under the 60-day shelter stay policy.

Ward committeepeople are elected to unpaid positions to work on behalf of a local political party in their respective wards. Committeepeople help recruit potential candidates for office, organize voting efforts in their wards during elections, help fundraise for the party, vote to appoint officials to vacant elected positions and help decide which candidates the local party will endorse each election cycle.

In Chicago, 50 Democratic and Republican ward committeeperson seats were up for election March 19. Here are the results so far. An (I) will signify an incumbent candidate in a contest. Winners of each race will be listed in bold text accompanied by the percent of the overall vote they earned.

A file photo of voting booths.

A Cook County judge on Friday sided with real estate and commercial groups that had sued the Chicago Board of Elections to keep the Bring Chicago Home referendum off the March 19 primary election ballot. While voters might still be able to vote on the ballot question, the results could be suppressed if a higher court does not reverse the decision on appeal.

The fight to raise the real estate transfer tax was supported by Mayor Brandon Johnson while he campaigned for office. In a statement Friday evening, the mayor’s office said the city was disappointed, believed in the referendum’s legality and was exploring “every legal option available” to ensure voters remain the final say on the question. 

A file photo of voting booths.

A coalition of real estate industry groups and other commercial groups filed a lawsuit Friday morning against the Chicago Board of Election Commissioners alleging the city’s Bring Chicago Home ballot question is legally invalid in a few ways.

Ald. Matt O'Shea (19) asks Chicago Aviation Comm. Jamie Rhee questions during a budget hearing Friday. [Livestream]

Chicago Department of Aviation Comm. Jamie Rhee answered alderpersons’ questions about O’Hare airport’s massive modernization effort and migrant arrivals during a budget hearing Friday evening. 

The aviation department, which manages O’Hare and Midway international airports’ operations, maintenance and capital improvement projects, is set to see its budget balloon to $1.42 billion under Mayor Brandon Johnson’s 2024 spending plan. That represents a more than 23.5 percent increase from 2023’s budget of $1.14 billion.

Ald. Debra Silverstein (50), who introduced the fatal traffic crash review ordinance, is seen during a meeting in 2022. [Don Vincent/The Daily Line]

The City Council Committee on Pedestrian and Traffic Safety on Wednesday is expected to discuss and vote on an ordinance that would lead the city to study fatal traffic crashes on a regular basis and pose policy solutions. The committee will meet at 2 p.m. Wednesday.

Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle speaks at an event in Dixmoor on June 12, 2023. [Livestream]

Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle traveled to the village of Dixmoor Monday to celebrate the groundbreaking of a water main infrastructure improvement project that is backed by federal funding and money allocated by the county board of commissioners. Preckwinkle was joined by U.S Rep. Robin Kelly (D-Ill.), U.S Rep. Jonathan Jackson (D-Ill.) and the Army Corps of Engineers.