CHICAGO (October 14, 2010)– HIV advocates breathed a sigh of relief on October 13 when Chicago Mayor Richard M. Daley released a 2011 city budget plan that preserves HIV funding and largely maintains city support for the Chicago Department of Public Health (CDPH).
The 2011 budget is the last one that Mayor Daley will present. He announced on October 13, 2010, that he would step down after running the city for 21 years.
Mayor Daley recommended that HIV funding remain level at $4.3 million. Last year, HIV funding was cut by $175,000. City funding is largely used for HIV prevention programs and supplies, housing services, and awareness activities.
Overall proposed city funding for CDPH was reduced by just 0.2%, from $33.87 million in 2010 to $33.80 million in 2011, and five positions will be eliminated.
Mayor Daley proposed to close the city’s $654 million budget deficit by tapping reserve funds. The proposed budget avoids massive job and service cuts that would have otherwise resulted.
The Chicago City Council will hold hearings on each agency’s budget over the next several weeks. The CDPH hearing is scheduled for Thursday, October 21. City Council is expected to approve on the 2011 budget in November.
AFC will lobby City Council members to appropriate the highest funding amounts possible for public health programs, including HIV services.
Read Mayor Daley’s budget press release.
View the city budget proposal:
2011 Budget Overview and Revenue Estimates (PDF)
2011 Mayoral Budget Recommendations (CDPH section begins on p. 145)
2011 Program and Budget Summary (CDPH section begins on p. 105 of the PDF)
2011 Draft Action Plan (Details spending plans for Housing Opportunity for People with AIDS (HOPWA) spending plans and other HUD funding, PDF)
2011 Preliminary Budget Estimates (PDF)
