Chicago, Illinois – Thousands of public employees across Chicago owe millions of dollars in unpaid debts to the city, raising questions about accountability as city leaders warn of potential layoffs and budget shortfalls. Records obtained through public disclosures show that unpaid tickets, utility bills, and fees by city workers and employees of related agencies total $23.5 million.
The findings come as Brandon Johnson, the city’s mayor, cautions that municipal revenues may fall short, potentially forcing difficult workforce decisions later this year.
Incident Overview
Data obtained through a Freedom of Information Act request reveals that at least 13,000 current and former employees of the City of Chicago and its sister agencies are behind on payments. The debts include unpaid parking tickets, water bills, and other municipal fees that are typically enforced against residents citywide.
one in ten Chicago Public Schools employees owes money to the city, while the issue is even more pronounced among transit workers, where over one-third of CTA employees have outstanding balances.
Timeline of Events
The disclosure follows heated budget debates late last year, during which city officials discussed how aggressively Chicago should pursue billions of dollars in unpaid fees owed by residents. Those discussions largely focused on private taxpayers, leaving unanswered questions about enforcement against city employees themselves…