The Chicago Mayor's Office for People with Disabilities will be appearing before the Chicago City Council's Committee on Budget and Government Operations to discuss the 2025 budget on Thursday, November 7, 2024.

View the schedule for all 2025 City Council budget hearings.

Frequently Asked Questions

When does Chicago put together its budget?  

The City prepares a budget every year with the money it expects to receive (revenue) and what it is planning to spend (appropriated expenses).  

Why is this called the 2025 budget? 

Every year, the City works on the next calendar year’s budget so that it can go into effect on January 1. The 2024 budget was created in 2023 and we are working on the 2025 budget now in 2024.  

What is the budget process? 

1. April-July 2024: The Mayor’s Office met with groups within the City and hosted public discussions about the budget process, asking them for feedback both in person and virtually.  
2. August 29, 2024: The Mayor released a budget forecast with estimates of revenues and expenses for next year (PDF: 2025 Budget Forecast). 
3. September-October 2024: The Mayor submits budget recommendations to the City Council. The Mayor gives his budget address this year on October 30, 2024. 
4. November 2024: The City Council’s Budget and Government Operations committee holds hearings for each department on their section of the budget. 
5. November 7: The Mayor’s Office for People with Disabilities’ hearing is scheduled on this day. MOPD Commissioner will talk about the budget and answer any questions. Members of the MOPD Leadership team will also be there. The hearing is open to the public.
6. December 31: City Council deadline for approving a balanced budget. 
7. January 1, 2025: The 2025 budget takes effect.  

How can I watch the budget hearings? 

You can attend a budget hearing in person at City Hall or watch it online. Chicago City Council meetings are open to the public, but space is limited. Meetings typically begin at 10 a.m. in the Council Chambers located on the second floor at City Hall.  

You can reserve seats in the public gallery by calling (312) 744-6800 or emailing CityCouncilSeating@cityofchicago.org no more than two weeks, and no less than 48 hours before a scheduled meeting. Gallery seats are reserved on a first-come, first-served basis. When reserving seats, you must provide your name, the number of seats you want, your email and telephone number.  

You can also get a general admission seat on the day of the hearing by getting in line at City Hall an hour before the hearing is scheduled to start. There are 60 general admission seats.  

For more information on attending a Chicago City Council meeting, please contact the Chicago City Council Sergeant-at-Arms at 312-744-6800 or via email at CityCouncilSeating@cityofchicago.org. If you need a reasonable accommodation in order to attend a meeting of the City Council or attend and/or address one of its committees, contact the Sergeant-at-Arms at Alvin.starks@cityofchicago.org or (312) 744-6000. 

Budget hearings will be livestreamed online at Chicityclerk.com. You can see all scheduled City Council and committee meetings here: Chicityclerk.com. 

What accessibility is already provided at budget hearings? 

The City of Chicago provides accessibility for people attending both City Council and committee meetings. Please contact the Sergeant-at-Arms at Alvin.starks@cityofchicago.org or (312) 744-6000 to confirm accessibility. 

Accessibility accommodations that the City is suited to provide for City Council meetings include: 

• Reserved seating available on the main floor 
• Accessible seating on the main floor
• Assistive listening devices, available by checking out at the police officer desk next to City Council 
• Restrooms accessibility for Men and Women 
• American Sign Language (ASL) interpretation 
• On Livestream: CART (Communication Access Realtime Translation) captions in English 

If you need an accommodation other than the ones listed here in order to attend a City Council meeting, contact the Sergeant-at-Arms at Alvin.starks@cityofchicago.org or (312) 744-6000. 

I would like to say something about the budget. What should I do?  

• Attend a City Council meeting. There is time at the beginning of each meeting for people to speak (Public Comment). The City Council meeting schedule is online at chicityclerk.com. Meetings typically are held at 10AM on the second floor of City Hall. Here are the rules for speaking at a meeting: Public Comment Process 

• Contact your alderperson. Alderpeople can ask questions during budget hearings. At this site you can enter your address and find out who your alderperson is: Find Ward and Alderman