Meet Me On Milwaukee Returns This Sunday!

1st Ward Newsletter | September 23, 2025

Dear neighbors,

Meet Me on Milwaukee returns for its second installment this Sunday from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.! August's kick-off was one of the most joyful experiences I've had in office with all of you, and September looks to be even better. More business participation. More side street activations. More of you! If you have time to volunteer to help make this a success, please complete this form. I'll see you out there!

This week is an important legislative one for City Council with votes on affirming residential composting and last mile logistics facilities, as well as a subject matter hearing I've been working on with Ald. Rossana Rodriguez-Sanchez on gender-based violence. A critical issue that will be voted on at Council on Thursday concerns expanding accessory dwelling units citywide. While it passed the Zoning Committee in a very unfettered form in July, it seems that many concessions are being made to those who demand greater control over who can develop in their communities and how. I personally believe that the 1st Ward has benefitted tremendously from ADUs over the past four years and I've heard that from many of you as well. Regardless of the shape the final legislation takes, I will continue working to ensure our ward communicates an openness and enthusiasm for ADU legalization and production.

Finally, it was great to see so many of you at the Immigration Town Hall this past Sunday at Roosevelt High School. Your solidarity with your undocumented neighbors and your commitment to bold persistent action to keep them safe makes me proud to be your alderperson. I walked away from that meeting with several practical homework assignments myself. Our times remind me of a quote from "truth" by the great Chicago poet Gwendolyn Brooks: "sweet is it to sleep in the coolness of snug unawareness." Stay alert. Don't fall asleep.

In this week's newsletter, you'll find:

• 1st Ward Office
• Public Safety
• Community News and Events
• Zoning

1st Ward Office

The 1st Ward Office is working on research to prepare for 2026 Budget season, and that includes three new budget blogs:

Budget Blog 13: Reading the Comprehensive Audit

• The Comprehensive Audit includes a variety of financial data about the City, including its bond debt owed and payments; the Corporate Fund performance (this is the City's main discretionary budget fund, which funds a variety of City services and public safety departments); the City's pension performance; and the City's assets held.

• In 2024, while the City's corporate fund faced a gap due to unforeseen governmental revenue shortfalls, its pension funded ratio did increase.

Budget Blog 14: A Brief Note on Bonds

• Since 2023, the City has aggressively refinanced its bonds, which produces savings for the City's budget (and therefore, taxpayers) and has also reduced the amount of principal owed over time. It is worth investigating the City's bond performance over time to further understand how infrastructure investment and business activities (airports, sewers, water) work.

Budget Blog 15: On Tax Increment Financing (TIF) and TIF Surplus

• The City has increasingly used TIF funds for the purposes of annual surplus, which returns funds to the property taxing bodies instead of using TIF revenues for economic development. It is worth investigating the City's use of TIF over recent years, and its planned TIF spending, to further investigate how economic development investment works.

Public Safety

Community News and Events

Zoning

• 2240 N Milwaukee: Applicant has updated plans following Greater Goethe Neighborhood Review; this community meeting will discuss updated plans.