City Council passes $260M police settlement
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Mayor Brandon Johnson presides over the Chicago City Council on Wednesday. Photo: Monica Eng/Axios
A record police settlement, new bike lane enforcement and a veto override attempt headlined Chicago's City Council meeting Wednesday.
Why it matters: The decisions will shape where millions of Chicago taxpayer dollars are directed and how Chicagoans park.
Record settlement
The Council approved a $260.8 million police misconduct settlement to resolve 16 lawsuits by 17 plaintiffs who say they were framed for murder by former Chicago police detective Reynaldo Guevara.
Context: This is huge. When it comes to police settlements, New York City saw its biggest payout year in 2024, hitting $206 million. Los Angeles made its biggest payouts in 2025 with $286 million.
Smart Streets expansion
Alders greenlighted a citywide expansion of Smart Streets, which uses city vehicles, including CTA buses, to photograph vehicles parked in bus lanes, bike lanes and bus stops for ticketing.
What's next: The program will expand to Foster, California and Pershing by mid-2027, Devon, Pulaski and 51st by December 2027 and the rest of the city by the end of 2028.
Veto override fails
Alders failed by one vote to override Mayor Brandon Johnson's veto of a measure that would have required 30 council votes to take on additional debt.
By the numbers: The final vote was 33 to 17.
Blocked CHA appointments
The Council rejected the appointments of two Chicago Housing Authority board members proposed by mayoral ally Ald. Byron Sigcho Lopez.
- Frequent mayoral critic Ald. Anthony Beale urged his colleagues to vote no. He considered the appointments an attempt to undermine CHA president Keith Pettigrew, who was installed against the mayor's wishes.
Renters ordinance
A hoped-for compromise between two competing renter proposals failed to materialize Wednesday.
State of play: Ald. Nicole Lee tells Axios the two sides are still hammering out issues, including how to craft a landlord registry. She doesn't see a new proposal emerging before December's Council meeting.