The Committee on Ethics and Government Oversight unanimously voted to advance a revised package of reforms first introduced in May 2024, sending it to the full City Council for a final vote on Sept. 23.

The terms of two members of the board expired last month, including Vice Chair Ryan Cortazar, who has led the board since former Chair William Conlon stepped down in July 2025, and Board Member Sarah Jin.

“One proposal is not a silver bullet,” Ald. Matt Martin (47th Ward) said. “But we should do what we can, when we can.”

Chicago has earned “every bit” of its reputation as the most corrupt of corrupt American cities, with much more work to be done, Inspector General Deborah Witzburg said.

The City Council’s Workforce Development Committee advanced the measure after a lengthy debate over whether all city employees, not just CPD members, should be banned from “actively participating” in extremist and anti-government groups.

The proposal, authored by Ald. Matt Martin (47th Ward), would give the Civilian Office of Police Accountability the authority to probe officers accused of “actively participating” in extremist and anti-government groups like the Proud Boys and Oath Keepers.

Mayor Brandon Johnson’s failure to name a new Ethics Board chair has infuriated good-government advocates who have demanded that he do more to combat Chicago’s reputation as the most corrupt of corrupt American cities.

It will likely cost Chicago taxpayers approximately $52 million in interest to borrow that money and pay off during the next five years, according to estimates provided to the Chicago City Council by Chief Financial Officer Jill Jaworski.

A marathon session before the City Council’s Budget and Government Operations Committee on Monday made it clear there is no easy way to bridge the city’s $1.19 billion projected shortfall, leaving alderpeople across the political spectrum frustrated as the budget debate hits a tipping point.

Ruben Torres Maldonado has been held at the Broadview ICE Facility since Saturday, according to attorney Kalman Resnick, who is representing Maldonado's family. Maldonado, who has lived in Chicago since 2003, is scheduled to have an immigration court hearing Thursday, according to Resnick.

Community members lined the sidewalks outside neighborhood schools Friday afternoon in Lincoln Square, part of a rapid response mobilization following word of ICE activity in the area.

A budget forecast for 2026 projects a $1.15 billion deficit for the city, driven by the end of one-time federal pandemic aid and continued uncertainty over pension payments for Chicago Public Schools employees.

“There are some recommendations that are coming through,” Mayor Brandon Johnson said. “In due time, we’re going to release some of those recommendations.”

“Leading this office is not a sprint or a marathon,” Inspector General Deborah Witzburg told WTTW News. “It is a relay race, and it’s time to pass the baton.”

The measure unanimously endorsed by the Ethics and Government Oversight Committee had the support of both Inspector General Deborah Witzburg and Corporation Counsel Mary Richardson-Lowry after negotiations stretched into the weekend.

Ald. Matt Martin (47th Ward) will ask the Ethics Committee on Monday to advance a proposal designed to prevent the city’s top lawyer from intervening in ongoing probes that risk “embarrassment or political consequences” for city leaders.