By Bill Cameron, WLS News
In an interview with Bill Cameron…Mayor Emanuel is unyielding about the major objection aldermen are raising against his city budget proposal.
In city budget hearings there’s been quite a lot of push-back from the aldermen against the mayor’s plan to privatize the 3-1-1 non-emergency call center. So, I asked the mayor if he’s open to change.
“A modernized 3-1-1 is essential for the effectiveness and of our neighborhood services that we want to see. So, I’ve laid out what I think is essential to make sure that everything we’re doing on our budget, uh, and the investments that we’re making the quality of life we want to see in our neighborhoods – that 3-1-1 is part of that modernization,” said Mayor Emanuel.
Bill Cameron: “They’re afraid that jobs are going to go away?”
Emanuel responds: “Well, the people will have to, uh, staff it and we think this is the right thing to do and I’ve made my proposal and I think it’s the right thing to do. My budget is pretty clear, Bill, about what I’m going to do.”
But behind the scenes, some of the aldermen are hoping the proposal is a red-herring which the mayor will pull back later.
@ Copyright 2015 WLS News
