Assessing Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson's First 100 Days in Office

After 100 days in office, Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson's progress on government ethics and transparency promises has been evaluated by the Better Government Association (BGA). While it is still early to determine the full extent of his administration's responsiveness to FOIA requests, there have been no binding opinions against the city related to FOIA denials. However, no legislation has been introduced to give the Inspector General independent release authority, and significant incident reports from prior administrations have not been released. The Johnson administration has an opportunity to implement recommendations from oversight agencies, but there have been instances where recommendations were declined. It is too early to evaluate the administration's commitment to an open and uniform appointment process for filling aldermanic vacancies. The mayor's commitment to budget transparency will be tested when the budget is presented in October. Despite promising to make legislation publicly available in advance, direct introductions into committee have occurred without public posting. The requirement for sister agency heads to appear before City Council committees has not been tested yet. The relationship between the City Council and the mayor's office has shown signs of negotiation and collaboration in committee appointments.