Mayor Emanuel Releases First-Year Progress Report

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Mayor Rahm Emanuel released a comprehensive report detailing progress made since taking office in May 2011. The 32-page report highlights progress made to improve the quality of schools, the safety of streets, the cost and effectiveness of city government, and the urgent need to create and keep the jobs in Chicago. The report, a public feedback form, video and more resources are available at www.cityofchicago.org/firstyear.

“In one year we have made significant progress toward securing Chicago’s future. We have worked to make our government more effective, to deliver better services at a more competitive price, and to open government to the public,” said Mayor Emanuel. “Although there is still much to do, I am more confident now than ever that the challenges for the city of Chicago are no match for the character of the people of Chicago.”

In the first year in office the Emanuel Administration has:

• Passed an accountable 2012 budget that improved services while saving taxpayers dollars;
• Implemented a full school day for CPS students;
• Expanded International Baccalaureate diploma programs in Chicago’s high schools;
• Expanded high performance charter schools;
• Launched College to Careers to prepare students for jobs in high growth industries;
• Reformed the procurement and contracting process;
• Implemented Tax Increment Financing (TIF) Reform;
• Launched Citywide Wellness program;
• Implementing competitive bidding to achieve Citywide recycling;
• Strengthened Ethics Rules;
• Deployed more than 1,000 police officers to the communities across Chicago;
• Launched a comprehensive public health agenda;
• Secured more than 13,000 private-sector jobs in neighborhoods across the city.

Mayor Emanuel also hosted his third #AskChicago live Facebook Town Hall meeting with Chicagoans to discuss his first year in office and to solicit ideas from the public on how keep Chicago moving forward. More than 200 questions and ideas were posted, generating 1,511 public votes from nearly 800 users. The entire video of this event is available at www.cityofchicago.org/firstyear.

Watch and learn more about the Emanuel Administration's first year here on the Mayor's Office YouTube page. 

You can also find the full pdf of the first-year progress report here.

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