|
Aldermen voted to allow Mayor Brandon Johnson to issue up to $3
billion in bonds to pay for the next round of renovation and
expansion at O’Hare.
“As we continue to invest in our airports and create
opportunities, we will ensure all of Chicago’s residents can
benefit from these projects. It’s my vision for all of our
investments,” Johnson said.
The city council also authorized $160 million in bonds to
convert empty Loop office buildings into housing.
The mayor says the bond deals reflect his advice to aldermen to
avoid taking disagreements personally.
“There’s so many countless examples of how we have worked
together. My encouragement to the city council is to find ways
in which we can work together,” Johnson said.
Chicago aldermen approved a a $50 million settlement to four men
who were wrongly convicted of murder.
The city council authorized the payments to four men who spent
20 years in prison, after coerced confessions led them to be
convicted of a 1995 double murder.
Mayor Johnson said these cases are a direct result of what
previous administrations ignored.
“Many Black men have been falsely accused and, you know, spent
their lives in prison for a crime they did not commit,” Johnson
said.
34th-Ward Alderman Bill Conway said the settlement is a costly
one.
“So I have significant concern on the amount here. I have no
doubt as to the liability of the city,” Conway said.
Of the $50 million, $21 million will come directly from
taxpayers. The remaining $29 million is covered by insurance,
which is also taxpayer-funded.
|
|
