Office of the Mayor – BGA Policy 2025 Budget Snapshot

The office of the mayor contains the mayor's administrative staff and several small offices focused on specific policy areas, such as the ​​Office of Equity and Racial Justice, Office of Community Safety, etc.

Because there is no departmental budget hearing scheduled for the mayor's office, the Office of Budget and Management's first-day presentation on the overall budget is the best opportunity alderpersons will have to publicly discuss appropriations to cover the cost of operating the mayor's office.

Snapshot: Appropriation & Staffing Changes from 2024 Budget

• A new $3.8 million appropriation from the cannabis regulation tax fund has been added for "special program costs," the single largest increase in the departmental budget. In 2024 this appropriation was under finance general.
  
• Likewise, a $500,000 cannabis regulation tax fund appropriation for "restoration committee" that was previously under finance general has been added to the mayor's office budget.
  
• Delegate agencies spending has been eliminated entirely from the departmental budget, a -$4.7 million reduction.
  
• Despite the reduction in headcount, overall staffing costs continue to rise, with this year's salaries and wages on payroll appropriation (the department's largest expense by far) up 2.3% from the previous year.

Historical Context

The mayor's office has grown considerably in both budget and staffing levels since the Daley years. Both Emanuel and Lightfoot oversaw net increases in the number of individual staff positions budgeted, as well as the number of offices/divisions within the departmental budget.

The proposed 2025 budget recommends a leveling-off in funding and staffing levels, with a slight 2.2% increase in overall budget (almost exactly the same rate of growth as the budget overall) and the elimination of three positions for a -2.4% reduction in budgeted headcount.

Staffing

Overall headcount is down three positions. Section changes represent some shuffling of offices: the Office of Neighborhood and Economic Development is now the Office of Business, Economic and Neighborhood Development (BEND), with two additional budgeted positions, while the Office of Education and Human Services (five positions in 2024) has been split into a separate Office of Human Services (four positions in 2025) and Office of Education and Youth (three positions in 2025).

While overall headcount stayed relatively consistent, retitling substantially increases the number of director positions in this year's budget, up from six in 2024 to 22 in 2025. The leap in director positions is offset by elimination of smaller numbers of other titles, including ten project managers, three schedulers, and three press aides.

Appropriations

Largest Appropriations

Mayor's office appropriations are predominantly staff-related. Salaries and wages on payroll make up the bulk of the department's budget.

Two new appropriations from the cannabis regulation tax fund join the top 10 expenses in the mayor's office budget this year: $3.8 million for special program costs and $500,000 for a restoration committee. In the 2024 budget these appropriation accounts were under the finance general section.

Change from Previous Year

Apart from the cannabis tax regulation fund appropriations moved over from the finance general section, the largest change for the mayor's office in the 2025 budget proposal is the inclusion of a reserve balance from the previous year. This appropriation was not used in the previous year's budget. Better Government Association has reached out to the Office of Budget and Management for clarification of this appropriation's purpose and has not yet received a reply.

Outside contracting and rental equipment and services were reduced dramatically in this year's mayor's office budget, down -89.3% and -97.8% respectively from 2024.

Despite the reduction in headcount, overall staffing costs continue to rise, with this year's salaries and wages on payroll appropriation (the department's largest expense by far) up 2.3% from the previous year.

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