Editorial: Chicago business must understand the real threat the mayor's budget poses

What counts as “savings and efficiencies” in Mayor Brandon Johnson’s government?

In the 2026 budget the mayor presented last week, the two biggest items in that category were a $118 million reduction in how much the city planned to contribute to its woefully underfunded pension plans and a cap on how much overtime the Chicago Police Department could accrue.

That’s akin to an individual or household saying they’re tightening their belts by paying the minimum on their credit cards.

Needless to say, no reasonable person would count that step as tantamount to cutting spending, and the Johnson administration proposes precious little in the way of cost-cutting in a $16.6 billion budget that on paper plugs a 2026 budget deficit estimated at $1.2 billion.

Of course, there’s a vast array of new