Chicago mayor to push for local funding, keeping Bears

By Jim Talamonti | The Center Square
The Center Square

(The Center Square) – As he travels to Springfield to lobby for state funding of local governments, Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson says he has ideas to keep the Chicago Bears in his city.

At a press briefing at City Hall on Tuesday before his scheduled departure for the Illinois Capitol, the mayor was asked about megaprojects legislation.

Johnson said he had a couple of ideas to keep the Bears on the lakefront.

“There are lots of conversations that are also associated with this particular project that requires us to think hard about how the top tourist destination in the state of Illinois is fully supported. That museum campus is one that’s driving our economy, but yeah, there are some new ideas out there that we will be discussing,” Johnson said.

House Bill 910 provides tax incentives for the Bears’ proposed development in Arlington Heights and other Illinois megaprojects worth $100 million or more.

The mayor questioned why state lawmakers from Chicago would support the Bears project in the suburbs.

“I don’t know why any Chicago legislator would vote for anything that doesn’t benefit the people that they represent and vote for,” Johnson said.

State Rep. Kam Buckner, D-Chicago, is the sponsor of House Bill 910.

Buckner’s office did not immediately respond to The Center Square’s request for comment.

Johnson, several suburban mayors and Metropolitan Mayors Caucus members are scheduled to join state Rep. Anthony DeLuca, D-Chicago Heights, for a press conference at the state capitol on Wednesday afternoon.

The mayors are calling on Gov. J.B. Pritzker to reverse his planned budget cut to local governments.

Pritzker’s fiscal year 2027 spending plan reduces the Local Government Distributive Fund formula rate from 6.47% to 6.23% of state income tax revenues.

Johnson said local governments would suffer an estimated loss of $60 million, including a $12.7 million shortfall for Chicago.

“Look, that’s not chump change when you’re talking about a 1% increase, that would be $80 million that could go towards driving safe and more affordable communities,” Johnson said.

From 1993 to 2011, local governments received 10% of state income tax revenues through the LGDF.

Statehouse Republicans are on the same page as the Chicago mayor when it comes to funding local governments and have made repeated calls for full funding of the LGDF.

At a press conference in Springfield on Tuesday, state Rep. Jennifer Sanalitro, R-Hanover Park, said local leaders don’t have many options when LGDF funding gets cut.

“They either raise property taxes, increase fees or cut services, none of which are good outcomes for working families or businesses,” Sanalitro said.

Sanalitro said the governor should fully fund the LGDF to prevent property tax hikes.