2027–2031 · Financial & Economic Development Plan
Chicago is too expensive. Dr. Willie Wilson will lower costs and make life easier.
Our plan is to save $1 billion annually, generate a $500 million annual budget surplus, and strengthen Chicago’s economy — without raising taxes or reducing essential city services.
Chicago is one of the great economic centers of the world, yet for too long, our city has approached its finances by managing annual budget deficits rather than building lasting financial strength. Year after year, city leaders have focused on closing budget gaps through new revenues, higher taxes, borrowing, and short-term financial solutions.
Dr. Willie Wilson’s approach is fundamentally different. Our goal is not simply to balance Chicago’s budget. Our goal is to create a $500 million annual operating surplus while eliminating $1 billion in unnecessary government spending each year.
An Ernst & Young report commissioned by the City of Chicago found $530 million to nearly $1.4 billion in potential savings and revenue enhancements across city departments. The current Administration has ignored the EY recommendations.
Instead of continually asking taxpayers and businesses to pay more, our plan focuses on making government more efficient, attracting investment, expanding businesses, creating jobs, and growing Chicago’s economy.
Chicago deserves leadership that approaches government with the same financial discipline, accountability, and long-term planning required to operate a successful business. I will be able to introduce reforms and recommendations because I am not bought by special interests.
Our city has tremendous assets: a skilled workforce, world-class transportation infrastructure, international business relationships, strong neighborhoods, major universities, Lake Michigan, and access to global markets. Yet Chicago continues to face significant financial challenges, including recurring budget deficits, substantial pension obligations, aging infrastructure, and increasing financial pressure on residents and businesses.
Our plan introduces a new level of financial discipline. City departments will be required to justify spending, government contracts will undergo independent review, revenues owed to taxpayers will be pursued, and unnecessary administrative expenses will be identified. We will also work with the elected Chicago Board of Education to identify opportunities to reduce administrative costs while protecting classroom instruction and improving educational outcomes.
Our plan will establish a robust legislative affairs team in Washington, D.C., and Springfield, Illinois, to ensure Chicago residents receive an equitable return on the tax dollars they contribute to federal and state governments. We will work across all levels of government to pursue our fair share of funding for education, public safety, infrastructure, pensions, and economic development.
Improving the lives of Chicago residents will require cooperation, accountability, and a shared commitment from city, state, and federal leadership. Our plan changes the fundamental question facing Chicago’s government. Instead of asking, “How do we find more money to cover our deficit?” we will ask, “How do we operate more efficiently, grow our economy, and generate a surplus that strengthens Chicago’s financial future?”
Modernize government operations, eliminate unnecessary administrative expenses, implement zero-based budgeting, and improve procurement — without reducing essential services.
Build recurring financial reserves, strengthen the city’s finances, reduce debt pressures, and support long-term financial stability.
Grow Chicago’s tax base through business investment, jobs, development, and international trade — without increasing existing tax rates or imposing a corporate head tax.
Maintain and improve police, fire, emergency response, sanitation, infrastructure, and other essential city operations.
| Financial objective | Annual target |
|---|---|
| Recurring government savings | $1 billion |
| Annual operating surplus | $500 million |
| Tax increases on residents | None proposed |
| Corporate head tax | None proposed |
| Essential city services | Maintain and improve |
Tap any point to expand the details.
Objective: Reduce unnecessary government spending while protecting essential city services.
Our plan would:
Financial Target: $225 million in potential annual organizational savings, subject to independent verification.
Objective: Ensure education spending supports students, teachers, and educational outcomes.
Our plan would:
About 13 high schools are at least 80% empty or operating at less than 20% capacity. I will work with the newly elected school board, community members, and Alderpersons to determine the best and highest use for those buildings. They are community anchors and should benefit the community.
I will decentralize the way money flows to the schools. I will build a budget that prioritizes children and classrooms and not bureaucracy at the central office. Only 59% to 62% of the CPS budget actually goes directly into individual school-level budgets.
We will hire local restaurants to supply food to schools. Hire local janitorial companies to clean the schools. Hire landscaping companies to cut the grass. Hire local construction and repair companies. Our goal is to empower local small businesses.
Douglass High School illustrates the challenge, with approximately 28 students enrolled in 2025 in a facility designed for 912.
Preliminary estimates suggest that consolidating underutilized facilities could generate approximately $100 million in savings. More than $600 million in non-teaching staffing costs has also been identified as an area for potential review.
Financial Target: Establish independently verified savings while protecting educational quality and classroom resources.
Objective: Establish transparency and accountability for every taxpayer dollar.
Our plan would:
Approximately $640 million in city and grant-funded migrant-response spending was documented from August 2022 through December 2024. That spending warrants examination for value and accountability, but expenditure totals alone do not establish fraud.
Financial Target: Recover substantiated improper payments and generate recurring savings through stronger financial oversight.
Objective: Convert underutilized public property into housing, businesses, jobs, and tax-producing assets.
Our plan would:
The EY analysis identified approximately $157 million to $202 million in potential real estate-related financial benefits over ten years, including an estimated $30 million in the first year.
Financial Target: Validate potential real estate savings and establish measurable new investment and property-tax revenue targets.
Objective: Improve public safety through effective staffing, deployment, and accountability.
Our plan would:
The current Administration promised to hire 200 more detectives. According to WGN-TV Investigates, that has not happened. I will hire additional detectives to solve crimes.
Objective: Evaluate financially responsible options to retain major sports-related economic activity within Chicago.
Our plan would:
Any Michael Reese proposal would be subject to site availability, existing development commitments, feasibility, and necessary approvals.
Financial Target: Complete an independent economic and fiscal impact study before committing public resources.
We have a pension crisis in Chicago that requires immediate attention. Our plan will do three things:
Objective: Improve purchasing efficiency, contract accountability, infrastructure spending, and collection of revenues owed to Chicago.
Our plan would:
Preliminary estimates suggest that as much as $400 million in annual Chicago Fire Department reimbursements may be forgone. This figure remains unverified and requires an independent eligibility and collectability review.
Clean water is essential to life; without it we cannot survive. I see water as a universal human right. The current Administration wants to wait 50 years to replace the 400,000 lead service lines. We cannot wait. My plan is simple:
| Initiative | Potential financial impact |
|---|---|
| Procurement reform | $55M–$111M annual savings |
| Reimbursement recovery | To be independently determined |
Objective: Increase local business activity, employment, neighborhood ownership, and the circulation of spending within Chicago.
Our plan would:
At those targets, 3,500 job placements at $40,000 would represent approximately $140 million in annual gross wages. This is an illustrative calculation, not city tax revenue.
Objective: Expand Chicago's economy and generate additional revenue through business investment rather than higher tax rates.
Our plan would:
Financial Target: Develop a validated strategy to generate $500 million in additional annual city revenue from economic growth over time, without increasing existing tax rates.
Help put this plan to work. Every contribution moves Chicago toward a stronger, more accountable government.