Budget Town Hall Discussion with Mayor Emanuel

Mayor Emanuel announced today that he will lead two public town hall discussions with Chicagoans as an essential part of the process of developing the 2012 City budget proposal.

The town hall discussions will be held Wednesday, August 31 at Malcolm X College, 1900 W. Van Buren Street, from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m.The open town hall discussions will be interactive, yet focused on the issue of developing a balanced budget for 2012. Residents across Chicago can contribute ideas on how to address the City's fiscal challenges as well as get information on the town hall locations and times by calling 312-744-6670, 9:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. Monday through Friday. They can also log on to the City's interactive budget website, www.ChicagoBudget.org, to submit ideas, get information and join the conversation.
 
Two weeks ago, the Mayor's Office launched www.ChicagoBudget.orgto help Chicagoans to engage in the budget process by submitting ideas and discussing options to get the city's fiscal house in order. To date, more than 1,800 Chicagoans have posted more than 5,000 ideas for discussion, from adopting cost-saving technology to reducing reliance on paper, reducing the amount of overtime paid by the city and having city vehicles run on alternative fuels.

The Mayor's staff and officials throughout City government have been examining these ideas carefully, providing feedback and considering what can be implemented. Mayor Emanuel will deliver his budget proposal to the City Council in October.
 

**Information provided by 47th Ward Alderman's Office