Chicago Surplus Surges to $52M | Chicago News

Chicago’s city government is riding a financial wave, ending 2025 with a $52 million operating surplus — a dramatic turnaround from last year’s zero balance and a $381 million improvement over 2024. Smart spending controls and stronger-than-expected revenues fueled the gains, though $166 million went toward firefighter retroactive pay, covered by borrowing. Despite past budget fights and a looming $35 billion pension crisis, departments kept spending increases to just 0.6% thanks to $200 million in efficiencies. Revenues jumped 7.5% thanks to tourism, transit, and a booming stock market, while reserve funds dipped due to ongoing pension payments — but the pension funding ratio saw a slight uptick. This is the city’s largest budget surplus in a decade, excluding pandemic years, offering a hopeful sign for fiscal health. Listen in comfort:Get a discount on a Soli Pillow: http://solipillow.com/discount/dnn Advertise on DNN:[email protected] This is an automated, high-level news summary based on public reporting.Report issues to [email protected]. View sources & latest updates:https://sources.thednn.ai/ab51b02ed35aac30