Chicago area governments laying off workers as revenues fall amid coronavirus

Lynwood Mayor Eugene Williams

Before the COVID-19 crisis struck, many Cook County suburbs were already facing steep financial challenges.

But the economic shutdown has only made matters worse. To the point where some local government leaders are laying off police officers and other staff, as they look to save cash and avoid painful property tax hikes down the road.

“My budget director is projecting a budget shortfall of anywhere between $800,000 and $1.2 million,” Riverdale Mayor Lawrence Jackson said. “Worse-case scenario we will probably need to reduce our staff by a third.”

For towns like Lynwood, help is needed now.

“We were always short on finances,” Mayor Eugene Williams said. “We were trying to do our best to increase, to do better.” See Ben Bradley and Andrew Schroedter’s story on WGN News.

Related: Southland communities lay off, furlough staff as coronavirus pandemic craters revenue projections.