"Challenges and Controversies Surrounding Chicago's Mayoral Election"
Chicago's next mayor will inherit a city with deep financial problems, including massive deficits and a pension hole. The city's economy is still on shaky footing post-pandemic, with tourism, convention business, CTA ridership, and office and retail occupancy not yet returned to 2019 levels. The next mayor will face a projected deficit between $500 million and $600 million heading into 2024, with no cushion of federal funds to rely on. Both mayoral candidates have differing views on whether there is enough money already in the system or if they will need to raise revenue to do more.