Mayor Johnson's budget director Annette Guzman resigns
<p>Chicago Budget Director Annette Guzman abruptly resigned Monday, forcing Mayor Brandon Johnson to head into the all-important investors conference and a grueling election year budget season with a whole new financial team.</p><p>One week after Acting Chief Financial Officer Steven Mahr and Mahr’s top deputy <a class="Link" href="https://chicago.suntimes.com/city-hall/2026/07/28/mayor-brandon-johnson-acting-cfo-steve-mahr-resigns" target="_blank" >jumped ship</a> without warning or explanation, Guzman followed them out the door.</p><p>What Secretary of State and <a class="Link" href="https://chicago.suntimes.com/elections/2026/08/02/alexi-giannoulias-chicago-mayor-candidate-2027-february-election-secretary-of-state" target="_blank" >mayoral contender Alexi Giannoulias</a> has called the “revolving door of senior leadership” under Johnson is spinning fast.</p><p>Ald. Matt O’Shea (19th) was part of the renegade coalition that rejected Johnson’s corporate head tax and passed an alternative, $16.7 billion budget with major elements that the mayor has never stopped fighting.</p><p>O’Shea said Guzman’s departure is the most surprising given the role she played in crafting and defending Johnson’s budget and battling the revenue items he didn’t like.</p><p>Her role as Johnson’s field general was on full display during a City Council hearing last month on the city’s mid-year financial report, O’Shea said.</p><p>During the hearing, Guzman and Mahr denied that foot-dragging on the very revenue items that Johnson opposes had caused a $90 million mid-year budget shortfall and warned of layoffs.</p><p>Citing late property tax payments from Cook County, they also hedged on whether the city could afford to make the second half of a $260 million advance pension payment that was at the center of the budget battle and, if so, how much that additional payment would be.</p><p>“When several of my colleagues and myself posed legitimate questions about our financial status, she was very defensive and very aggressive in her responses,” O’Shea said.</p><p>“She said there were no issues.
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<p>Chicago Budget Director Annette Guzman abruptly resigned Monday, forcing Mayor Brandon Johnson to head into the all-important investors conference and a grueling election year budget season with a whole new financial team.</p><p>One week after Acting Chief Financial Officer Steven Mahr and Mahr’s top deputy <a class="Link" href="https://chicago.suntimes.com/city-hall/2026/07/28/mayor-brandon-johnson-acting-cfo-steve-mahr-resigns" target="_blank" >jumped ship</a> without warning or explanation, Guzman followed them out the door.</p><p>What Secretary of State and <a class="Link" href="https://chicago.suntimes.com/elections/2026/08/02/alexi-giannoulias-chicago-mayor-candidate-2027-february-election-secretary-of-state" target="_blank" >mayoral contender Alexi Giannoulias</a> has called the “revolving door of senior leadership” under Johnson is spinning fast.</p><p>Ald. Matt O’Shea (19th) was part of the renegade coalition that rejected Johnson’s corporate head tax and passed an alternative, $16.7 billion budget with major elements that the mayor has never stopped fighting.</p><p>O’Shea said Guzman’s departure is the most surprising given the role she played in crafting and defending Johnson’s budget and battling the revenue items he didn’t like.</p><p>Her role as Johnson’s field general was on full display during a City Council hearing last month on the city’s mid-year financial report, O’Shea said.</p><p>During the hearing, Guzman and Mahr denied that foot-dragging on the very revenue items that Johnson opposes had caused a $90 million mid-year budget shortfall and warned of layoffs.</p><p>Citing late property tax payments from Cook County, they also hedged on whether the city could afford to make the second half of a $260 million advance pension payment that was at the center of the budget battle and, if so, how much that additional payment would be.</p><p>“When several of my colleagues and myself posed legitimate questions about our financial status, she was very defensive and very aggressive in her responses,” O’Shea said.</p><p>“She said there were no issues. The only issue was that the budget our coalition passed was to blame for this. She was very quick to point the finger.
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- <p>Chicago Budget Director Annette Guzman abruptly resigned Monday, forcing Mayor Brandon Johnson to head into the all-important investors conference and a grueling election year budget season with a whole new financial team.</p><p>One week after Acting Chief Financial Officer Steven Mahr and Mahr’s top deputy <a class="Link" href="https://chicago.suntimes.com/city-hall/2026/07/28/mayor-brandon-johnson-acting-cfo-steve-mahr-resigns" target="_blank" >jumped ship</a> without warning or explanation, Guzman followed them out the door.</p><p>What Secretary of State and <a class="Link" href="https://chicago.suntimes.com/elections/2026/08/02/alexi-giannoulias-chicago-mayor-candidate-2027-february-election-secretary-of-state" target="_blank" >mayoral contender Alexi Giannoulias</a> has called the “revolving door of senior leadership” under Johnson is spinning fast.</p><p>Ald. Matt O’Shea (19th) was part of the renegade coalition that rejected Johnson’s corporate head tax and passed an alternative, $16.7 billion budget with major elements that the mayor has never stopped fighting.</p><p>O’Shea said Guzman’s departure is the most surprising given the role she played in crafting and defending Johnson’s budget and battling the revenue items he didn’t like.</p><p>Her role as Johnson’s field general was on full display during a City Council hearing last month on the city’s mid-year financial report, O’Shea said.</p><p>During the hearing, Guzman and Mahr denied that foot-dragging on the very revenue items that Johnson opposes had caused a $90 million mid-year budget shortfall and warned of layoffs.</p><p>Citing late property tax payments from Cook County, they also hedged on whether the city could afford to make the second half of a $260 million advance pension payment that was at the center of the budget battle and, if so, how much that additional payment would be.</p><p>“When several of my colleagues and myself posed legitimate questions about our financial status, she was very defensive and very aggressive in her responses,” O’Shea said.</p><p>“She said there were no issues.
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Mayor Johnson's budget director Annette Guzman resigns
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