Mayor Harold Washington predicted Friday that passage of Chicago`s anticipated $2.4 billion budget for 1988 would not be delayed by upcoming contract negotiations with the city`s 50 collective bargaining units.
Legally, the city must balance its budget for the next year by Dec. 31. Last year when Washington first took control of the Chicago City Council, the budget was approved by early November.
”Obviously we`d like to wrap them up by the time the council passes the budget,” Washington said. Asked about budget approval being held up by negotiation delays, he said: ”I don`t think that would be necessary. We want to move that as quickly as possible. ”
The city`s budget director released a preliminary 1988 fiscal package Monday that indicated that Chicago faced a $19.6 million gap next year.
The budget proposal did not include any pay increases for city workers or financial room to replace retiring employees. A minimal across-the-board pay boost of 1 percent would widen the budget gap another $10 million.
Traditionally, the city does not project pay increases in the budget, or reflect them in a working draft, until contracts are approved and signed.
But the mayor was silent on whether there would be pay raises.
”That`ll come out in the negotiations,” Washington said, during a taping of ”The Reporters” to broadcast at 7:10 p.m. Sunday on WMAQ-AM.
”I`m mindful of the fact that we have responsibilities to organized labor, and I`m mindful of the fact that we`ve supported collective
bargaining,” he said.”Whether or not they (city workers) are entitled to an increment raise is something that will have to come out in the bargaining.”
Between now and Oct. 15, when Washington introduces his budget to the city council, department heads are to submit proposed budgets, and the administration will be scheduling two public hearings to be held before the end of the month.
Labor negotiations begin next month with new contracts set to come up Jan. 1.
Because the mayor now enjoys a favorable vote in the city council for his measures, Washington`s package is expected to pass fairly intact. It could also be approved as early as it was last year without any pay raises included if labor contracts were still being negotiated.
