The mayor’s 2027 budget proposal would appropriate $15.65 billion from the city’s own funds, $848.8 million or 5.7 percent more than the 2026 budget the City Council adopted, by the line-item files the city posted on October 20, 2026. Nearly a third of the increase, $265.4 million, is in the two accounts that pay off the city’s bonds and their interest. Finance General, the citywide account for debt, pensions and employee benefits, gets the largest increase of any department, $347.3 million, and the Department of Technology and Innovation the largest cut, $40.2 million. Last year the Council adopted $287.1 million more in the city’s own funds than the mayor had proposed.
Budget – 2027 Budget Recommendations – Appropriations (pptx-hhw3), Positions and Salaries (t952-rj49) and Revenue (p4pq-bxn9), read October 22, 2026, against the 2026 Budget Ordinance files · amounts are appropriations, the authority to spend · the comparisons and sums are oursHow big is the proposal?
$15.65 billion in the city’s own funds, against $14.80 billion adopted for 2026. (The city’s own funds are what the files call local funds: everything except grants.) The proposal file carries the 2026 amount on every line beside the 2027 request, and those 2026 amounts add up to the adopted 2026 ordinance’s total for the city’s own funds except for one line: $2.0 million for a Casino Community Benefits Fund, labeled “Casino Community Impact” under Finance General, which the 2026 ordinance file does not carry. The 2026 figures on this page are the proposal file’s 2026 column less that line, which makes them equal to the adopted ordinance to the dollar; the line counts here as new for 2027, where the proposal carries the same $2.0 million. The file also lists $3.96 billion in grants. Its 2026 grant column, $3.81 billion, does not match the 2026 ordinance’s $3.87 billion in grants, so grants are left out of every comparison here.
| Funds | Adopted 2026 | Proposed 2027 | Change | Percent |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| The city’s own funds | $14,798.7M | $15,647.5M | +$848.8M | +5.7% |
| Of them, the corporate fund | $6,251.2M | $6,539.1M | +$287.9M | +4.6% |
| Grants (not compared) | n/a | $3,964.8M | n/a | n/a |
Which departments gain and which lose?
Of the 40 departments with money from the city’s own funds in either year, 38 would get more and 2 less. Finance General would rise from $8,190.9M to $8,538.2M, and the Department of Technology and Innovation fall from $64.3M to $24.1M. Our reading: 63 percent of all the proposed increases, counted before the cuts, go to three departments, Finance General, the Chicago Police Department and the Chicago Department of Aviation. The largest line, Finance General, is described in the file only by its accounts; its three largest in the proposal are “EMPLOYEE ANNUITY AND BENEFIT”, “INTEREST ON BONDS” and “PAYMENT OF BONDS”.
Only two departments would get less, and one of them barely: the Chicago Police Board’s line falls by $1,878. The other is the Department of Technology and Innovation. Its largest single cut is software maintenance and licensing, from $16.9 million to $0.1 million, while the same account under Finance General rises from $2.1 million to $30.9 million. Our reading: much of the city’s software bill moves out of the department and into the citywide account. The file shows the two lines, not the decision behind them.
| Department | Adopted 2026 | Proposed 2027 | Change | Percent |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Finance General | $8,190.9M | $8,538.2M | +$347.3M | +4.2% |
| Chicago Police Department | $2,023.3M | $2,144.8M | +$121.5M | +6.0% |
| Chicago Department of Aviation | $919.6M | $1,013.2M | +$93.6M | +10.2% |
| Chicago Fire Department | $862.4M | $872.5M | +$10.1M | +1.2% |
| Department of Fleet and Facility Management | $495.5M | $557.8M | +$62.3M | +12.6% |
| Department of Water Management | $433.1M | $447.0M | +$13.9M | +3.2% |
| Department of Streets and Sanitation | $346.9M | $374.1M | +$27.2M | +7.8% |
| Department of Family and Support Services | $213.9M | $259.9M | +$46.1M | +21.5% |
| Chicago Department of Transportation | $240.1M | $247.7M | +$7.5M | +3.1% |
| Department of Finance | $113.2M | $167.9M | +$54.7M | +48.3% |
| Chicago Department of Public Health | $105.0M | $121.8M | +$16.8M | +16.0% |
| Department of Planning and Development | $114.0M | $120.2M | +$6.1M | +5.4% |
| Office of Public Safety Administration | $115.1M | $118.6M | +$3.6M | +3.1% |
| Chicago Public Library | $95.5M | $99.8M | +$4.3M | +4.4% |
| Office of Emergency Management and Communications | $91.5M | $95.6M | +$4.1M | +4.5% |
| Department of Law | $47.8M | $50.6M | +$2.7M | +5.7% |
| Board of Election Commissioners | $27.9M | $48.5M | +$20.6M | +73.9% |
| Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events | $43.7M | $47.5M | +$3.9M | +8.8% |
| Department of Buildings | $39.4M | $40.5M | +$1.1M | +2.8% |
| City Council | $37.8M | $39.4M | +$1.7M | +4.4% |
| Department of Housing | $13.8M | $38.2M | +$24.5M | +177.3% |
| Department of Business Affairs and Consumer Protection | $33.1M | $36.6M | +$3.5M | +10.6% |
| Department of Technology and Innovation | $64.3M | $24.1M | −$40.2M | −62.5% |
| Office of the Mayor | $15.6M | $17.7M | +$2.1M | +13.7% |
| Civilian Office of Police Accountability | $15.8M | $17.0M | +$1.2M | +7.6% |
| Office of City Clerk | $15.2M | $15.7M | +$0.5M | +3.2% |
| Department of Procurement Services | $13.9M | $14.6M | +$0.6M | +4.6% |
| Office of Inspector General | $14.3M | $14.5M | +$0.2M | +1.2% |
| Department of Human Resources | $12.0M | $12.9M | +$0.9M | +7.1% |
| Chicago Animal Care and Control | $8.2M | $9.5M | +$1.4M | +16.6% |
| City Treasurer’s Office | $6.5M | $8.6M | +$2.1M | +32.8% |
| Department of Administrative Hearings | $8.4M | $8.5M | +$0.1M | +1.3% |
| Department of Environment | $5.6M | $8.0M | +$2.4M | +42.0% |
| Office of Budget and Management | $4.9M | $5.2M | +$0.3M | +6.6% |
| Community Commission for Public Safety and Accountability | $4.0M | $4.1M | +$0.1M | +1.9% |
| Mayor’s Office for People with Disabilities | $3.3M | $3.4M | +$0.1M | +3.0% |
| Chicago Commission on Human Relations | $1.7M | $1.7M | +$0.0M | +2.8% |
| Board of Ethics | $0.9M | $1.0M | +$0.0M | +3.0% |
| Chicago Police Board | $0.5M | $0.5M | −$0.0M | −0.4% |
| License Appeal Commission | $0.2M | $0.2M | +$0.0M | +3.6% |
What happens to the corporate fund?
It goes from $6.25 billion to $6.54 billion, a change of +$287.9M. Within it, Finance General gains the most, $87.0 million, and the Department of Technology and Innovation loses the most, $28.3 million.
| Department | Adopted 2026 | Proposed 2027 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Finance General | $2,160.2M | $2,247.2M | +$87.0M |
| Chicago Police Department | $1,955.2M | $2,031.4M | +$76.2M |
| Chicago Fire Department | $808.2M | $817.5M | +$9.2M |
| Department of Fleet and Facility Management | $275.1M | $309.9M | +$34.8M |
| Department of Streets and Sanitation | $214.8M | $248.3M | +$33.5M |
| Department of Family and Support Services | $194.5M | $221.3M | +$26.8M |
| Department of Finance | $78.8M | $106.6M | +$27.9M |
| Office of Public Safety Administration | $69.2M | $69.1M | −$0.1M |
| Chicago Department of Public Health | $90.5M | $66.4M | −$24.1M |
| Chicago Department of Transportation | $50.3M | $51.9M | +$1.6M |
| Board of Election Commissioners | $27.9M | $48.5M | +$20.6M |
| Department of Law | $38.2M | $39.5M | +$1.3M |
| City Council | $36.6M | $38.3M | +$1.6M |
| Department of Buildings | $31.6M | $32.5M | +$0.9M |
| Department of Technology and Innovation | $52.4M | $24.1M | −$28.3M |
Which kinds of spending move most?
Debt and wages move most. The accounts the file calls “Payment of Bonds” and “Interest on Bonds” go from $1.74 billion to $2.00 billion together, $265.4 million more, which is 31 percent of the whole increase. On wages, “Scheduled Wage Adjustments” falls by more than any other account, $348.1 million, $243.3 million of it under Finance General, while “Salaries and Wages – On Payroll” grows the most, $281.8 million. Our reading: money set aside for raises in 2026 is budgeted inside payroll for 2027. The file does not say so, and the two lines do not match to the dollar. The account names are the file’s own.
| Account, as the file names it | Adopted 2026 | Proposed 2027 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| SALARIES AND WAGES – ON PAYROLL | $3,480.0M | $3,761.8M | +$281.8M |
| PAYMENT OF BONDS | $726.6M | $903.9M | +$177.3M |
| EMPLOYEE SUPPLMT ANNUITY AND BENFT | $259.6M | $363.0M | +$103.4M |
| POLICEMEN’S FUND SUPPLMT PENSION PAYMT | $72.2M | $167.6M | +$95.3M |
| INTEREST ON BONDS | $1,012.7M | $1,100.7M | +$88.1M |
| For the Costs of Claims and Administration for Hospital and Medical Care Provided to Eligible Employees Provided However That All Payments to the In… | $523.4M | $581.3M | +$57.9M |
| SCHEDULED WAGE ADJUSTMENTS | $387.7M | $39.7M | −$348.1M |
| POLICEMEN’S FUND PENSION ALLOCATION | $227.6M | $179.4M | −$48.2M |
| MUNICIPAL FUND SUPPLMT PENSION PAYMT | $161.2M | $143.0M | −$18.2M |
| CONTRACT WAGE – PREVAILING RATE | $11.7M | $0.0M | −$11.7M |
How many positions does the proposal fund?
28,058 full-year positions, against 27,975 in the 2026 budget; the positions files cover every fund, grants included. The positions file counts full-year positions separately from hourly and monthly ones, and the three are never added together here; budgeted hours go from 3,303,474 to 3,314,824. The departments whose full-year count changes most:
| Department | 2026 budget | 2027 proposal | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Department of Business Affairs and Consumer Protection | 202 | 193 | −9 |
| Office of Inspector General | 118 | 110 | −8 |
| Department of Fleet and Facility Management | 197 | 190 | −7 |
| Civilian Office of Police Accountability | 150 | 144 | −6 |
| Chicago Animal Care and Control | 90 | 94 | +4 |
| Department of Family and Support Services | 392 | 398 | +6 |
| Department of Finance | 579 | 585 | +6 |
| Department of Streets and Sanitation | 347 | 355 | +8 |
| Chicago Department of Transportation | 368 | 379 | +11 |
| Chicago Police Department | 13,727 | 13,741 | +14 |
| Chicago Department of Aviation | 1,215 | 1,243 | +28 |
| Chicago Department of Public Health | 759 | 787 | +28 |
Where does the money come from?
The largest single line is the Chicago O’Hare Airport Fund, $2.13 billion, which the file lists without a category. In all, the revenue file estimates $15.28 billion for 2027 across the funds it lists, against $14.62 billion in the 2026 budget.
| Revenue category | 2026 budget | 2027 proposal | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chicago O’Hare Airport Fund | $2,060.3M | $2,127.1M | +$66.8M |
| Transaction Taxes | $1,393.6M | $1,790.0M | +$396.3M |
| Policemen’s Annuity and Benefit Fund | $1,145.1M | $1,189.4M | +$44.4M |
| Municipal Employees’ Annuity and Benefit Fund | $1,133.3M | $1,145.3M | +$12.0M |
| Water Fund | $921.6M | $977.7M | +$56.1M |
| Proceeds and Transfers In | $686.7M | $642.1M | −$44.6M |
| Firemen’s Annuity and Benefit Fund | $468.0M | $515.6M | +$47.6M |
| State Income Tax | $545.1M | $505.9M | −$39.3M |
| Transportation Taxes | $497.9M | $492.7M | −$5.2M |
| Bond Redemption and Interest Series Fund | $430.1M | $488.9M | +$58.8M |
| Recreation Taxes | $425.3M | $484.8M | +$59.5M |
| Sewer Fund | $437.6M | $461.8M | +$24.1M |
How much did the Council change last year’s proposal?
By $287.1 million in the city’s own funds. The mayor proposed $14.51 billion for 2026; the ordinance the Council adopted carries $14.80 billion, and 11 departments moved by $1 million or more between the two files. Our reading: the change was concentrated; 78 percent of all the movement, counted in either direction, came in Finance General and the Chicago Fire Department.
| Department | Proposed 2026 | Adopted 2026 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Finance General | $8,053.7M | $8,190.9M | +$137.2M |
| Chicago Fire Department | $757.7M | $862.4M | +$104.7M |
| Department of Family and Support Services | $193.4M | $213.9M | +$20.5M |
| Chicago Department of Public Health | $85.0M | $105.0M | +$20.0M |
| Chicago Public Library | $86.8M | $95.5M | +$8.8M |
| Chicago Police Department | $2,028.2M | $2,023.3M | −$4.9M |
Known limits
An appropriation is the authority to spend, and the 2027 figures are a proposal until the Council adopts a budget. Grants are reported and never compared, because the two files carry them on different bases. Departments are matched by name, ignoring capital letters and spacing; a department renamed between the files shows as one ending and another beginning. The files say what is proposed, never why.
- Proposal the city’s 2027 Budget Recommendations – Appropriations, Positions and Salaries and Revenue files, read October 22, 2026; every sum computed on the portal.
- Adopted the 2026 Budget Ordinance files for appropriations, positions and revenue, and the 2026 proposal file for last year’s comparison.
- Matching the 2026 column of the proposal file is used for every appropriation comparison; it carries $2.0 million in a fund the 2026 ordinance file has no rows for (Casino Community Benefits Fund), and with that line taken out its total for the city’s own funds equals the 2026 ordinance’s to the dollar (checked). Positions and revenue are matched across files by department, fund and category name. Full-year, hourly and monthly position units are reported apart.
- Rounding every change is computed from the unrounded amounts in the files, so a change shown in a table can differ by $0.1 million from the difference between its two rounded columns.
Computed by KCM Desk from the city’s budget files, read October 22, 2026. Human-guided and edited — about this desk. If you spot an error, corrections come first.
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