Tonight at 6 pm, I'll be live-tweeting a Facebook Live conversation with @chicagosmayor and Budget Director Susie Park about findings from the community round tables and budget survey. @city_bureau
Follow along or view the meeting for yourself here
https://www.facebook.com/ChicagoMayorsOffice/

It’s beginning, the time is 6:06 pm

The mayor says despite the $800 million deficit, she has no plan to abandon "her values."

All zip codes were represented in the survey, however, 45% of the respondents were from the North Side.

The results showed that Chicago residents want to prioritize community services and allocate the *least* funding for police.

Director Park says that 66 budget community round tables took place, with 50% of zip codes represented.

The Mayor says that mental health was a repeated topic throughout budget conversations between "budget ambassadors" and community members.

Both Director Park and Mayor Lightfoot say that they've been paying close attention to community feedback.

Over 18 thousand of the 19 thousand survey responses wanted to defund the police.

They're now going into public questions, all of which are regarding the police and specifically the $1.7 billion CPD budget.

The Mayor states that police are an important part of building healthy and vibrant communities.

The Mayor comments on the current economic development projects that prioritize community areas west of Ashland and south of Roosevelt, such as INVEST South/West.

"How do we hold police accountable?" The Mayor states that the consent decree is the "floor, not the ceiling" of her response to police accountability.

Now they're moving into the topic reallocating money.

Again, residents want to know why the city it is not prioritizing funding for the police department. The Mayor pushes back on the question, stating that the city is not prioritizing CPD over other resources.

The Mayor says that Chicago is reliant on federal funding.

They're now moving to questions regarding police reforms. Residents asked about instating #CPAC. "I don't support it," responds the Mayor.

Over 70% of consent decree deadlines were not met. The Mayor said she's putting pressure on CPD to meet the deadlines.

The Mayor says that they've "worked hard" to strengthen COPA and make sure there is transparency. "What is the proper role of police?" asks the Mayor. She says the city is going to be piloting a program where police are not the first and only responders.

They're now moving onto questions regarding violence prevention. Residents want the city to allocate funds towards resources that will address the root causes of crime and violence.

Residents posed questions that suggested CPD does nothing to address violence. The Mayor immediately shuts down that claim.

The Mayor says that the city is committed to forging partnerships with community organizations.

They're now moving onto questions regarding public health and homelessness.

"We did a lot to ensure that we decompress our homeless shelters," said the Mayor who said that money from the CARES act went to help the homeless during the height of COVID-19.

"The city has made significant investments," said the Mayor regarding homelessness prevention and aid.

They're now moving onto questions regarding mental health. from 2019 to 2020 the city invested an additional $9.3 million in mental health services.

The Mayor said that the city has placed an emphasis on the funding telehealth mental health services during the pandemic.

They're moving on more comments on violence prevention. One resident states that an investment in human services allows a decrease in funding for the police.

The Mayor once again begins by stating her desire to stay true to the city's "values." She has yet to clearly identify what exactly those values are.

They're now discussing the equitable distribution of funds to specific neighborhoods.

Citizens want to know how their voices will *actually* be heard when it comes to land-use plans and development and not be overshadowed by corporations and established non-profits.

The Mayor said that through INVEST South/West, DPD Commissioner Cox is prioritizing community voices.

The Mayor says that Chicago has provided 3 times as much financial support to small business than New York and LA.

The Mayor said the city is supporting local businesses in order to decrease vacant store fronts.

They're now moving onto affordable housing.

The city has spent $26 million to address the housing crisis spurred by COVID-19.

Again, residents are questioning the equitable distribution of resources throughout the city.

The Mayor says that Chicagoans need to see each other as neighbors. "Often, the civic discussion is very toxic," she says.

A resident asks what resources have been allocated to support voting in Black communities.

Although the Chicago Board of Elections is a separate entity from the city's administration, the Mayor says that she's made sure they have enough resources for polling places, election judges, as well as people to count mail-in ballots.

The forecast for the 2021 budget holds a $1.2 billion gap in comparison to that of 2020 budget.

The Mayor says she appreciates the passion and says that she's depending on community engagement to make a series of "tough decisions."

That concludes the meeting. The time is 6:56 pm.