For months, some of us have tried to get transparency around the decision-making of the Johnson Administration funding sources for migrants. Yesterday, we learned that the Mayor reneged on the agreement with Governor Pritzker and Cook County to provide 25% of funding for a deal to help on the migrant issue.Â
If you read the statement below from the Governor's office, it is very clear, and I think it was clear in the media coverage of their meeting, that there was an agreement by the City to provide our share, about $71 million. Shortly after he walked out of the meeting, the Mayor reneged but was unable or refused to answer why the City dropped its support of the deal.Â
If you recall a couple months ago, the Mayor decided to spend about $95 million in city funds on the migrant crisis but wanted to avoid any Council vote on the expenditure of the funds. This run around the City Council prompted Alderman Conway and I, along with several colleagues, to submit a new ordinance to force a vote on such expenditures. This ordinance is awaiting a hearing.Â
No one knows why the Mayor pulled out of the deal with the Governor, and during his press conference yesterday he repeatedly dodged questions by all the reporters asking for a clear answer. Â
