Report, highlighting priorities shared by residents who participated in the City’s budget engagement process, including protecting essential services, investing in neighborhoods, and pursuing taxes on large corporations as a more equitable approach to raising revenue and balancing the budget. The University of Illinois Chicago’s Neighborhoods Initiative at the Great Cities Institute partnered with the City’s Office of Budget and Management (OBM) and Mayor’s Office of Community Engagement to design, conduct, and analyze the engagement process. The process reached residents across age groups and neighborhoods, with the dedicated youth engagement bringing additional young, Black, and Latino participants into the conversation. When asked to select potential revenue sources, 88% of public engagement respondents (ages 25 and up) and 74% of youth respondents (ages 14 to 24) selected increasing taxes on large corporations, making it the leading revenue option for both groups. Residents may share their stories of how the budget affects them and their communities by emailing MyChiBudget@CityofChicago.org. Residents who submit their budget stories will be sent timely updates about the City’s budget process, including opportunities to speak directly with City officials and other budget stakeholders. For more information on the 2027 City of Chicago Budget Engagement Report, visit Chicago.gov
