Harvey's City Council finally got back to work Monday night after more than two months off, but one key figure was missing from the dais: Mayor Christopher Clark. In his absence, aldermen pushed through both an appropriations ordinance and a tax levy while residents packed the council chamber, demanding answers on the city's spiraling finances and deep cuts to public safety.
Before the meeting, the city's finance committee heard from outside auditors who walked officials through delayed financial reports and stubborn gaps in Harvey's books. All of it played out against the backdrop of a declared financial emergency and mass layoffs that have gutted police and fire staffing.
Council Approves Budget And Tax Levy
According to the Chicago Tribune, the council voted Monday to adopt an appropriations (budget) ordinance and a tax levy ordinance meant to keep basic operations funded into the next fiscal year.
The Tribune reports that Ald. Dominique Randle-El, Ald. Shirley Drewenski, Ald. Telanee Smith and Ald. Tyrone Rogers all backed both measures. Alds. Tracy Key and Colby Chapman voted against the appropriations ordinance, then refused to cast a vote on the levy after a procedural dispute on the floor. Council leaders said the approvals were necessary to secure operating revenue and avoid even deeper disruption to city services.
Audit Shows Mixed Signals
An accounting firm, John Kasperek Co., presented its long-delayed audit of Harvey's 2021-2022 fiscal year. The Chicago Tribune notes that the audit did not issue any overall adverse opinions, which is the good-news half of the story.
The caveat: auditors issued disclaimer opinions for the general fund, the water fund, and several other governmental and business-type activities because records were missing or incomplete. In other words, the firm could not fully vouch for those numbers. "We plan to continue conducting audits until the city's annual financial reports are caught up," a Kasperek representative told the paper.
Financial Emergency And Furloughs Persist
Harvey's council voted last fall to formally declare the city financially distressed and later approved temporary layoffs that hit dozens of workers across departments. The move slashed into frontline services.
ABC7 Chicago reports that late last year, the city laid off nearly half of its fire department and about one-third of its police force as part of emergency cost-cutting. Against that backdrop, and with the mayor absent Monday night, several residents told officials they felt ignored by City Hall and less safe in their own neighborhoods.
What Comes Next
City officials said auditors and finance staff will keep grinding through the backlog of reports and that Monday's levy and appropriations votes give Harvey short-term authority to pay its bills.
NBC Chicago has reported that Harvey is pursuing emergency aid and could ask the state to step in under Illinois' distressed-city process, depending on how a state review plays out. Alderpeople cautioned that the newly approved measures are only an early move in what they expect will be a months-long effort to stabilize the city's finances.
Legal note
Under Division 12 of the Illinois Municipal Code, known as the Financially Distressed City Law, a home-rule city that requests the designation can ask the state to create a financial advisory authority and provide assistance. That process can limit a municipality's independent budgeting powers and allow the authority to intercept certain state-held payments. For full details, see the statute: Illinois Municipal Code.
