Keepers and Seekers: The Next Mayor’s Priorities for a Prosperous Metropolitan Region

MPC believes a healthy, prosperous region— and its core city—is competitive, equitable and sustainable. In the fall of 2010, we compiled a list of economic development, infrastructure and housing-related challenges the next mayor will face in achieving this goal. The following briefing book provides references and resources to help all of the mayoral candidates develop positions and policies around these issues. We have broken them down to two categories: the Keepers are current programs and initiatives led by the City of Chicago that should continue or be expanded; the Seekers are initiatives, programs and activities that need nurturing and increased support from the city to succeed.

Underlying everything on these lists is the most important and most difficult challenge every elected official is facing today and for the foreseeable future: historic budget deficits. Chicago’s is more than $650 million, while Illinois is about $13 billion in the red. It will be imperative for the next mayor to consider privatization of assets, service cuts, tax increases, and—above all—more efficient and strategic allocation of limited resources.

Contact MPC Vice President Peter Skosey, at 312-863-6004 or pskosey@metroplanning.org, to discuss in depth any of the issues in this book.