Jake Sheridan

1 week ago | chicagotribune.com | Jake Sheridan |Alice Yin

Mayor Brandon Johnson faced stiff criticism from a City Council opponent Wednesday as he introduced an ordinance to implement a grocery tax at the city level. Johnson’s administration has argued the 1% city grocery tax is necessary as a state grocery tax that sent revenue to municipalities ends. But Ald. Brendan Reilly accused Johnson of sneaking the ordinance’s introduction during a meeting to avoid legislative pushback, in what he characterized as a violation of the Open Meetings Act.

1 week ago | chicagotribune.com | Jake Sheridan |Talia Soglin

A contentious push to force Uber and Lyft to pay Chicago rideshare drivers more is settled for now after Uber and the unions behind the effort reached a labor peace deal. The Illinois Drivers Alliance, anchored by the Service Employees International Union Local 1 and the International Association of Machinists Mechanics Union Local 701, announced Monday morning that Uber has agreed to not fight its efforts to organize an estimated 100,000 rideshare drivers across Illinois.

2 weeks ago | chicagotribune.com | Jake Sheridan

The rental companies could overturn the bans by collecting signatures from 10% of the precinct voters, around 150 to 200 signatures.

2 weeks ago | chicagotribune.com | Jake Sheridan |Alice Yin |A.D. Quig

Mayor Brandon Johnson’s chief operating officer, John Roberson, is leaving the administration, ending weeks of speculation — and pushback — over his potential appointment to lead the CTA. Roberson is exiting the mayor’s office to join the Obama Foundation, according to two sources with knowledge of his plans. A member of the administration since the freshman mayor assumed office, Roberson is the last official within Johnson’s inner circle with previous City Hall experience.

3 weeks ago | yahoo.com | Jake Sheridan

Mayor Brandon Johnson is pushing aldermen to add a city grocery tax in Chicago as the long-established state grocery levy expires. Johnson’s top finance leaders urged aldermen to implement the tax soon during a Tuesday meeting of the City Council’s Revenue Subcommittee. Failing to install the tax would blow an additional $80 million hole in Chicago’s 2026 budget as the city already faces a budget gap of around $1 billion, Budget Director Annette Guzman said.