Department of Technology and Innovation – BGA Policy 2025 Budget Snapshot

During the Lightfoot administration, the existing Department of Innovation and Technology (DOIT) was merged with the Department of Fleet and Facilities Management (2FM) to create a new Department of Assets, Information and Services (AIS).

Mayor Johnson undid the merger, creating a standalone information department, now renamed the Department of Technology and Information (DOTI).

Departmental Highlights

Snapshot: Appropriation & Staffing Changes from 2024 Budget

• DOTI saw the largest proportional reduction in budgeted headcount by far, with a -28.2% reduction cutting 57 budgeted positions/FTEs.
• A large number of titles were eliminated entirely without being replaced via retitling, including IT - Security Specialist, Principal Programmer/Analyst, Senior Data Base Analyst (five positions each), Principal Data Base Analyst (four positions), IT Director - DoIT (three positions), and Chief Data Base Analyst, Chief Programmer/Analyst, Data Services Administrator, Principal Telecommunications Specialist, and Senior Telecommunications Specialist (two positions each) roles. The Project Manager position was also almost entirely eliminated, with 11 out of 12 budgeted positions cut.
• As with several other departments, DOTI's budget includes a "reserve balance" appropriation from a number of grant funds. This appropriation, which appears in several department's budgets and has been retroactively added to 2024 appropriations data as well, was not used in the previous year's budget at the time of its passage. BGA Policy has reached out to the Office of Budget and Management for clarification of this appropriation's purpose and has not yet received a reply.
• Apart from the new reserve balance appropriation, DOTI's largest budgeted appropriations increases were for IT maintenance and software maintenance and licensing, both up slightly over $2 million (a 34.1% and 13.3% increase, respectively).
• Professional and technical services saw the largest reduction in budget, down -$13.5 million (-51.9%). With significant cuts to headcount, salaries and wages on payroll declined a budgeted -$3.5 million, -25.1% down from the previous year.

Historical Context

Mayor Rahm Emanuel cut the existing DOIT budget dramatically in his inaugural 2012 budget, and again in 2016, reducing it to the level at which it roughly remained until the Lightfoot administration and the merger with AIS.

Post-merger, the department's appropriations and headcount are up significantly from the pre-merger years, even taking into account the headcount reductions in the 2025 budget.

Staffing

DOTI saw the largest proportional reduction in budgeted headcount by far, with a -28.2% reduction cutting 57 budgeted positions/FTEs.

A large number of titles were eliminated entirely without being replaced via retitling, including IT - Security Specialist, Principal Programmer/Analyst, Senior Data Base Analyst (five positions each), Principal Data Base Analyst (four positions), IT Director - DoIT (three positions), and Chief Data Base Analyst, Chief Programmer/Analyst, Data Services Administrator, Principal Telecommunications Specialist, and Senior Telecommunications Specialist (two positions each) roles. The Project Manager position was also almost entirely eliminated, with 11 out of 12 budgeted positions cut.

Appropriations

DOTI's budgeted appropriations are up from the previous year, with increases in appropriations from the federal grant and corporate fund making up the bulk of the increase.

Largest Appropriations

As with several other departments, DOTI's budget includes a "reserve balance" appropriation from a number of grant funds. This appropriation, which appears in several department's budgets and has been retroactively added to 2024 appropriations data as well, was not used in the previous year's budget at the time of its passage. BGA Policy has reached out to the Office of Budget and Management for clarification of this appropriation's purpose and has not yet received a reply.

Apart from the new reserve balance appropriation, DOTI is one of the few city departments where outside contracting and non-personnel appropriations outweigh the salaries and wages on payroll. Software maintenance, professional and technical services, IT maintenance, and equipment repair and maintenance are among the department's largest expense categories.

Change from Previous Year

Apart from the new reserve balance appropriation, DOTI's largest budgeted appropriations increases were for IT maintenance and software maintenance and licensing, both up slightly over $2 million (a 34.1% and 13.3% increase, respectively).

Professional and technical services saw the largest reduction in budget, down -$13.5 million (-51.9%). With significant cuts to headcount, salaries and wages on payroll declined a budgeted -$3.5 million, -25.1% down from the previous year.

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