Monday, September 12, 2016

Erin Keane
Comptroller, City of Chicago
121 N. LaSalle St., Suite 700
Chicago, IL 60602
Dear Comptroller Keane,
We write to request an updated assessment as to how much revenue the City of Chicago is owed in
unpaid debt as we enter the FY 2017 budget process.
Last year, Chicagoans reportedly owed more than $1.5 billion in unpaid red light, speed and parking
tickets. We seek to learn how much the parking ticket amnesty offered Chicagoans in the past year
recovered in revenue, and how much remains outstanding. We also request information regarding the
impact of the amended rules on disabled parking on this debt.
Office of the Inspector General (OIG) reports note a wide range of opportunities to collect outstanding
and unpaid fees. An OIG report auditing the Chicago Department of Transportations management of
the Loading Zone and Residential Disabled Parking Sign Process, for example, found that the City
failed to collect $3.9 million, or 59.9% of the recurring loading zone fees invoiced in
2013...miscalculated...installation fees for 100% of a sample of 95 zones reviewed by OIG[and] did
not maintain complete data for 88.4% of installations.
We would appreciate a full breakdown of all current unpaid debt across all City departments, so that
the City Council can work to Identify and remedy inefficiencies and raise revenue through proper
collection of fines and fees.
Thank you for your attention to this matter.
Sincerely,
Ald. Leslie Hairston (5)
Ald. Roderick Sawyer (6)
Ald. Susan Sadlowski Garza (10)

Ald. Toni Foulkes (16)

Ald. David Moore (17)
Ald. Ricardo Muoz (22)
Ald. Chris Taliaferro (29)
Ald. Scott Waguespack (32)
Ald. Carlos Ramirez-Rosa (35)
Ald. Nick Sposato (38)
Ald. John Arena (45)