[ad_1]
Mayor Lori Lightfoot appears on “Chicago Tonight” via Zoom on Monday, September 20, 2021. (WTTW News)
As Chicago emerges from the COVID-19 pandemic, Mayor Lori Lightfoot told WTTW News on Monday that city officials must be “bold and transformative” to deal not only with the immediate damage caused by the pandemic, but also to the city’s long-standing woes.
City’s 2022 spending plan designed to help Chicago’s most vulnerable residents, Lightfoot said Monday on “Chicago Tonight”.
“We need to be bold and transformative in the investment we make to make a real difference not only today and tomorrow, but in the future,” said Lightfoot. “We have real immediate needs which are met by the investments we offer, but we also make long-term bets on our neighborhoods and our downtown area, to stimulate commercial activity, to ensure that we offer jobs. and opportunities all over the world. city, that we strengthen our commitment to … mental health, and support our young but also the most vulnerable, our elders, those currently facing food insecurity and a host of other issues that have been exacerbated by pandemic. We have to do both and that is what this budget is proposing.
READ: Lightfoot bets on improving economy, uses federal relief funds to balance budget
Lightfoot’s proposal sets aside $ 1.3 billion, or about 68% of the city’s share of federal relief funds, to cover the cost of providing municipal services and paying municipal workers in 2020 and 2021 during the pandemic and make up for lost income during the economic collapse.
Despite calls from some progressive Chicago city council members to use the $ 1.9 billion in federal relief funds to directly help struggling Chicagoans, the mayor said his proposal struck the “right balance.” .
The spending plan responds to calls from progressive groups to spend more on mental health services, affordable housing programs and help for homeless Chicagoans, Lightfoot said.
“This is really a resiliency and recovery budget,” said Lightfoot. “This is a budget that should gain massive support from city council members.”
The mayor’s proposal sets aside $ 31.5 million to fund a pilot program that would make direct cash payments to “hard-hit, low-income households in need of additional economic stability.”
This would launch the largest direct cash assistance program in the United States, Lightfoot said.
“There are so many families sitting around tables like mine with their bills spread out trying to figure out how they’re going to juggle the limited dollars they have,” Lightfoot said. “Then a curve ball occurs which could lead to financial ruin.”
Having an extra $ 500 per month for these families could prevent “financial ruin,” Lightfoot said.
“It’s amazing what we’ve been through, so we have to use amazing tools to meet the needs of our residents,” said Lightfoot.
Contact Heather Cherone: @HeatherCherone | (773) 569-1863 | [email protected]
This story will be updated with a video.
[ad_2]
Source link