Lightfoot gets her first budget through city council

Former Mayor Rahm Emanuel pitched a shutout in his first big game on a new field, even though his first city budget doubled water and sewer rates, raised city sticker fees, hotel and parking taxes and closed three district police stations.

Mayor Lori Lightfoot's $11.6 billion budget for 2020 goes easier on taxpayers and steers clear of a massive property tax increase, but it drew 11 "no" votes.

Her $104.2 million revenue package includes an $18 million property tax increase to open Chicago Public libraries on Sundays and higher taxes and fees on ride-hailing, restaurant meals, recreational marijuana, cloud computing and parking meters.

Is there a message in that dissent - and a warning for a mayor who can't appease progressive aldermen?

Not to Lightfoot, who reflected on the 32nd anniversary of the death of Harold Washington.

"Throughout his entire time as mayor, not only were there critics in the city council. There were also critics on the left, who said he wasn't progressive enough. He didn't move fast enough. He didn't do things in the way that they wanted him to do," the mayor said.

"There are always gonna be critics. But what I know is, we needed 26 votes and we got 39."

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