Turbulence has struck Mayor Brandon Johnson's administration as Sydney Holman, the deputy mayor for intergovernmental affairs, resigned from her post, alongside two of her deputies, underlining a staff upheaval at a crucial juncture ahead of a challenging budget season. This change surfaces amidst internal restructuring that seemed to diminish her authority within Johnson's team. The resignation was first reported on Monday by Crain's Chicago Business, with additional details on the shake-up and its implications covered by the Chicago Tribune.
According to sources familiar with the matter, following Holman's departure, a higher rank within Mayor's team is expected for Kennedy Bartley, a well-known figure in Chicago's progressive movement. Bartley, who previously helmed United Working Families, was hired into Johnson's administration this May and is now set to lead efforts related to Johnson's second budget, which entails countering a nearly $1 billion shortfall. As the Chicago Tribune details, this reshuffling has raised eyebrows and elicited mixed reactions among aldermen and city hall insiders.
The internal chart outlined last week showed the intention of the intergovernmental affairs team to report to Bartley, a move to which Holman had reportedly been resistant. Amid these shifts, the pressing question remains on how the administration plans to address the looming budget gap. Options on the table, including potential tax increases, spending cuts, and other revenue generation measures, have yet to be unveiled by the mayor. "We cannot comment on personnel at this time," Johnson's spokeswoman Erin Connelly declined to comment when approached by the Chicago Tribune.
Moreover, the mayor's office has already instated a citywide hiring freeze, a move that perturbs some members of the city council due to its encompassing rank-and-file police and firefighters. This action feeds into the broader narrative outlined by Crain's Chicago Business that positions Bartley in a delicate situation, needing to build rapport with more moderate and conservative council members, some of whom have previously been at odds with groups aligned with Bartley's past political work.
Despite the changes within the intergovernmental affairs team, Johnson's administration has seen an unusual number of close calls and even defeats in the City Council under its watch. The long-term impact of this reshuffle and the approach to the 2025 budget remains zones of speculation, raising concerns about the ongoing large-scale departure of city employees and the potential effects on the progressive agenda set forth by Mayor Johnson's office.
