With mounting issues ahead, Johnson becomes Chicago mayor Monday

[May 16, 2023]  By Andrew Hensel | The Center Square

(The Center Square) – Brandon Johnson is set to take the office of Chicago mayor Monday. As he settles into his new role, many issues still need to be addressed in the city.

Johnson, a former Cook County Commissioner, defeated Paul Vallas in an April run-off election to become Chicago's 57th mayor.

Johnson will step into office amid uncertainties surrounding public safety. In an interview with ABC7, Johnson said the city can fix crime by helping young people.

"The more we invest in young people, in the immediate, the more we are going to see a reduction in crime," Johnson said. "It has been proven over and over again."

During his campaign, Johnson was criticized for being too progressive to handle the safety issues in Chicago and even has been tied to the defund police movement. In 2020, Johnson made comments on The Santita Jackson show in which he said the defund the police movement was not a movement but rather, a "political goal."

In an interview with CBS in April, Johnson walked back those statements.

"Well, it's not so much of a retreat. It's more of having a better understanding of the impetus of that hashtag," Johnson said. "Look, there were organizers all over the country who wanted to work within the confines of the system. Whether it was body cameras, dashboard cameras, all of these implementations of formations that would ostensibly provide more accountability within law enforcement, and it didn't work."

Over the past year, Chicago has seen an influx of migrants from the U.S. southern border, causing frustration among city officials and members of the public.

Johnson will have to address this influx as he takes office. The city would need additional funding to address the migrants and keep communities safe, he said.

Chicago Mayor-elect Brandon Johnson during a news conference in Springfield
Greg Bishop / The Center Square

"We do need more resources from the federal government, we do," Johnson said at an event at the Benito Juarez Community Academy. "Yes, there has to be far more coordination. So I have already assembled a very small team in the midst of my transition to begin to work on a plan that brings people together. What I will not accept is this dynamic being used to pit our communities against one another."

Outgoing Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot, who Johnson is replacing, has already issued an emergency declaration in response to the surge of new arrivals.

Others have pushed back on the new mayor's tax plans which include $100 million from a tax on financial transactions of $1 or $2 for every securities trading contract and another $100 million from taxing suburban residents who travel to the city.

Johnson said before the Illinois General Assembly that any investment he makes will be made with his morals in place.

"In order to have good healthcare and safe streets and quality schools, we have to be committed to our values," Johnson said. "Our values have to be very much committed and aligned with our investments."

Johnson was asked about the criticism he's gotten from those opposed to his plan and said he believes policymakers will come together to deliver a tax plan that works for everyone.

"We are not always going to agree on every single aspect of my plan, but that is a part of democracy," Johnson told ABC7. "We get to have those types of hard conversations, and I am confident that we are all going to walk out together on the same page."

Andrew Hensel reports on issues in Chicago and Statewide. He has been with The Center Square News since April of 2021 and was previously with The Joliet Slammers.