Mayor To Hold Town Hall Meetings To Get Budget Ideas From The Public
CHICAGO (CBS) -- Mayor Rahm Emanuel has scheduled three town hall meetings next week to ask the public for suggestions as he prepares next year's city budget.
"Everybody knows, because of the past decisions that were made, and past decisions that weren't made over the last couple of decades, we are where we are. The challenges are big enough, significant enough, that I want to make sure everybody has a set of ideas, and has a chance to contribute those ideas," he said Monday.
The mayor said he, his finance team, and cabinet members will attend the meetings on Monday, Aug. 31, Wednesday, Sept. 2, and Thursday, Sept. 3. Emanuel said he'll spell out the choices the city must make in these challenging, pension debt-driven times; and he wants to hear residents' thoughts on coping with the crises.
"It's going to be a process, just like with the aldermen, where people offer ideas. That will be one thing. They'll offer ideas. I think my goal is to also walk people through the choices we have to make; what are some of the challenges we have," he said.
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In recent weeks, the mayor has solicited and received ideas from Chicago aldermen. He said most of those have been about finding new revenue.
The meetings will be held:
--Monday, Aug. 31, at 6:30 p.m., at Malcolm X College, 1900 W. Van Buren St.;
--Wednesday, Sept. 2, at 6:30 p.m., at the South Shore Cultural Center, 7059 S. South Shore Dr.;
--and Thursday, Sept. 3, at 6:30 p.m., at Wright College, 4300 N. Narragansett Av.
Doors will open for each meeting at 5:30 p.m. Residents also can share budget ideas on social media with the hashtag #ChiBudget2016.
Emanuel was scheduled to present his budget plan to the City Council on Sept. 22.
