Politics

Mayor Johnson Focusing on Building Continuity After Budget Director Annette Guzman Resigns

Mayor Brandon Johnson expressed confidence that he’ll be able to present a balanced budget in October after his Budget Director Annette Guzman abruptly resigned this week.

Johnson on Tuesday stressed that, despite a recent spate of high-profile exits from his administration, he believes he’ll be able to maintain stability amid a difficult budgeting season ahead of next year’s mayoral election.

“One person does not run the operation around here, it’s a collection,” he told reporters. “And even after, you know, others have transitioned out, it has not stopped us from building the safest, most affordable big city in America.”

Guzman, the latest person to transition away from Johnson’s administration, stepped down to focus on caring for her family, according to the mayor’s office.

Johnson on Tuesday called Guzman — who served as the city’s budget director since 2023 — a “committed partner” and thanked her for her “extraordinary leadership and dedicated service to the people of Chicago.”

“Ten years of public service, at the City and at Cook County, has been the greatest honor of my career,” she said in a statement. “As I step away to focus on my family, I am confident that the talented team we have built and prepared at the Office of Budget & Management will continue carrying out this important work and advancing the Mayor’s vision for our City.”

The mayor’s office said it is working with Guzman to ensure a “seamless transition and maintain continuity” ahead of the 2027 budget season. Jonathan Ernst, who has served as the city’s first deputy budget director under Guzman, will now take over as acting budget director on an interim basis, Johnson’s office announced.

Guzman’s exit comes days after the city’s Acting Chief Financial Officer Steven Mahr also stepped away. Johnson’s administration has also recently lost Chicago Police Department Superintendent Larry Snelling and Human Resources Commissioner Sandra Blakemore.

Asked Tuesday what message this turnover sends to Chicagoans looking for stability, Johnson replied: “They have stability in me” adding that his administration will be ready to present a balanced budget in October.

“I hire people — bring people in — who can carry out my mission and vision,” he said. “There will be others who can carry out that mission and vision.”

Chicago is currently projected to end 2026 with a budget shortfall of around $89 million and the city owes $36.4 billion to its four employee pension funds representing police officers, firefighters, municipal employees and laborers, according to the 2025 Annual Comprehensive Financial Report.

Johnson on Tuesday was also asked repeatedly about the possibility of Chicago coming through with more money for Chicago Public Schools after the city’s Board of Education last week passed a budget that assumes an additional $150 million in state funding, which isn’t guaranteed to come through.

CPS is already counting on $285 million in Tax Increment Financing (TIF) funding from the city, while the cash-strapped district is owed nearly $2 billion more than what it has received from the state under its evidence-based funding formula.

But if that extra state funding fails to materialize, CPS leaders have said they will likely need to enact mid-year cuts and layoffs.

Johnson said it’s not sustainable to continuously rely on TIF dollars to help CPS balance its budget, calling that a “stop gap” measure, and adding that “you cannot expect me to continue to bail out the state of Illinois.”

“The state of Illinois has to do its part,” he said. “I’ve done my part.”

WTTW News' Heather Cherone contributed to this report.

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