Chicago Advised to Weigh Furloughs, Tax Hikes to Fix Deficit (1)

Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson’s budget working group has given him dozens of options — including furloughs, hiring freezes, fee increases and a property tax hike tied to inflation — to choose from as he works to close a $1.15 billion deficit for next year.

The 24-member Chicago Financial Future Task Force that Johnson created through an April executive order laid out 89 options in an interim report that outlines ways to cut costs by as much as $455.5 million and raise revenue by up to $1.65 billion. The group of business and civic leaders will issue a final report ...