“Never did, never will,” he said at a recent event.

 “Never did, never will,” he said at a recent event.

A Politifact analysis from 2018, however, pointed out that Vallas used money that was previously earmarked for pensions to cover operating costs at CPS, a practice that deepened the problem.

Lightfoot has had a complicated history with pensions. She has repeatedly said pensions already promised to workers must be honored but has repeatedly suggested going to Springfield for unspecified changes. At the recent City Club speech, Lightfoot said labor unions and politicians need to “make some hard choices but do the right thing to make sure that our pension funds are actually available for our retirees.” She suggested that might entail consolidation with other ailing funds statewide, but declined to offer specifics.

As a candidate in 2019, Lightfoot floated exploring “alternatives to a city-funded pension for people hired” after a certain date. “Just as pensions are a promise, we cannot make promises that we have no ability to keep,” she wrote in response to a WBEZ questionnaire.

That move would be highly unpopular with powerful labor unions, which is why Lightfoot and other candidates won’t touch it.

Taxes

At a recent candidate forum, Buckner, U.S. Rep. Jesús “Chuy” García and activist Ja’Mal Green raised their hands when asked who would commit to not raising taxes.

But their promises ignored a key reality: While the city has made some strides in recent years, its finances remain precarious, and it’s unlikely that the next mayor can govern without raising a single tax or fee.