City Council approves Mayor Brandon Johnson's $830 million infrastructure bond deal
The City Council narrowly approved Mayor Brandon Johnson's controversial $830 million bond deal to finance neighborhood infrastructure improvements, despite complaints that a back-loaded repayment schedule would inflate the total cost to $2 billion by the time all of the debt is paid off.
Under the plan approved by a 26-23 vote, the city would not make any principal payments until 2045, making only interest payments for the first 20 years of the 30-year borrowing plan.
The mayor and his supporters have said the bond deal is needed to pay for various necessary infrastructure projects, including road and bridge projects, renovations to city buildings, replacing city vehicles, new street lights and traffic signals, replacing lead service lines, and aldermanic "menu" projects in each ward.
However, critics have called the back-loaded structure of the bond deal financially irresponsible, and have argued the total amount of money being borrowed should be reduced, while also changing the structure of the deal to begin making principal payments immediately to lessen the overall cost.
"This is about being fiscally responsible with the taxpayers' money every single day," Ald. Anthony Beale (9th) said. "This is fiscally irresponsible. The people are asking us to do better. The people of Chicago are paying attention. You can say people ain't paying attention of what's going on down here anymore. You better not say that, because people are paying attention,"
The 26-23 vote to approve the deal came only after the mayor had to cast a tie-breaking vote to avoid pushing back a final vote on the plan until May 21.
Initially, it appeared the City Council was going to proceed with a vote on the deal without debate, but after critics blasted the mayor for moving forward without hearing from any aldermen, the mayor reversed course and agreed to allow debate "as a courtesy."
Once debate was underway, Ald. Walter Burnett (27th), Johnson's vice mayor, said approving the bond deal was a "quality of life issue."
"Paved streets, safe sidewalks, clean water, and quality of life issues for everyday Chicagoans - these are some of the basic things that people in our community sent us down here to take care of. Some of our communities can't wait. In fact, some of our communities have been waiting for a long time. Some more than others. Maybe some aldermen have the luxury of putting off infrastructure maintenance, but our community needs these investments now," Burnett said.
However, Ald. Bill Conway (34th) said because the city would be making only interest payments for the first 20 years of the deal, the overall cost will rise to about $2 billion, with taxpayers on the hook for $137 million a year for the last six years of the deal.
Noting he and his wife are currently raising three children between the ages of 2 and 5, he said that would mean "they will be in their 30s and on the hook for an irresponsible decision I cannot stomach making for them today."
"No one disputes that many of these investments are essential. However, we have to be honest about the back-loaded nature of this bond structure," he added.
Some of the mayor's had claimed the bond deal could be used to balance the budget at the Chicago Public Schools, an allegation the Johnson administration rejected. Nonetheless, before the bond deal passed, the mayor's office agreed to amend the language of the bond deal to clarify that the funding can only be used for infrastructure projects.
Conway and Ald. Timmy Knudsen (43rd) had introduced their own proposals to reduce the amount of money being borrowed under the deal, and speeding up the repayment plan. Conway said aldermen shouldn't simply be forced to choose the mayor's plan or nothing.
"Why are we acting like this is somehow our only option? Your vote is a no on this plan, not on any plan. Simply put, we can fund important projects and invest in Chicago, but we don't have to mortgage our children's future and saddle them with reckless debt to do it. If we're committing $2 billion over 30 years, we can certainly take three more weeks to craft a responsible proposal that meets our city's needs without compromising its potential," Conway said.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
7 hours ago
- Yahoo
City moves forward with second plan for Central Park makeover; businesses, officials still split
JOHNSTOWN, Pa. – A somewhat symbolic sidewalk dividing a grassy lawn space has been added to the proposed design for a remade Johnstown Central Park. The original tentative idea, created by New York City-based Scape Landscape Architecture, included a spacious green area with an accessible path in the center of the grounds. The first plan was never formally adopted by Johnstown City Council. Scape's relationship with the city eventually ended. Then, in May, City Council voted 6-1 to approve a revised plan with more concrete, including a walkway and circle area near where the current fountain is located. Mayor Frank Janakovic, Deputy Mayor the Rev. Sylvia King, Ricky Britt, Marie Mock, Charles Arnone and Taylor Clark voted in favor. Councilwoman Laura Huchel was the lone 'no' vote, as she supported Scape's original design that was created after months of ideas and feedback from the community. Other divided opinions exist, too. Discover Downtown Johnstown Partnership President Melissa Radovanic supports 'paramount' upgrades to aspects such as electricity, infrastructure, sidewalks and data that will help her organization put on the annual holiday display with a 36-foot-tall animated Christmas tree as the focal point. But she is 'highly disappointed' that the annual Christmas village will be mostly located in the new Park Place walkway, as opposed to being spread throughout the entire property as in the past. NEW CENTRAL PARK NO CHRISTMAS VILLAGE In contrast, Mike Messina, owner of Chameleon Bookstore, said the planned placement of the village buildings is 'wonderful for me' since it will bring visitors right to the front door of his business after the Gazebo Park street is closed and converted into a pedestrian zone. Overall, though, he thinks there 'could have been a lot more grass' in the final design. Numerous city residents, businesses and nonprofits have offered support for the project, believing it will help make the downtown a more inviting place for people to live, work and recreate. But one business located next to the town square, The Write Cup Coffee Shop, is relocating out of downtown, with the owner citing 'park-nado' among the reasons why in a recent Facebook post. State Rep. Frank Burns, D-East Taylor Township, and Republican Party mayoral nominee John DeBartola are among the loudest critics, opposing doing the work at all and expressing that the money could be better spent in other ways. Central Park | Downtown Johnstown View of Central Park and Main Street in downtown Johnstown on Thursday, June 12, 2025. Photo taken from the fifth floor of the AmeriServ corporate office building. Representatives from The Sweet Spot and Roots Kitchen + Juicery, two restaurants located near Central Park, made a video of themselves chained to a tree and questioning why money was being spent on changing the park in a city with a high poverty rate and other needs. They also noted that the time the park is closed for construction with no events taking place will affect their businesses. 'A lot of this is obviously in the eye of the beholder,' Johnstown City Manager Art Martynuska said. 'It's interesting. It's one of those darned-if-you-do, darned-if-you-don't kind of things. 'There are still folks out there that don't want anything done, still folks out there that wanted the Scape concept, and other folks who are in agreement with the plans that we put forth. Hopefully the compromise will lie somewhere in the middle of all three of those.' Construction is expected to begin around Labor Day. 'Move a project forward' The approved plan includes a redesigned pavilion on a concrete surface, trees and flowers, lawn space, benches, a monuments display and a water feature. A sidewalk dividing the lawn is one of the most noticeable design changes. Clark preferred the 'very spacious grassy area' and 'disagreed' with adding the cement walkway, but said he understood it was put into place under the assumption that people would cut across and make a path anyway. 'I still don't like it, but here we are,' Clark said. 'Sometimes there's compromise that has to go on to move a project forward.' Converting Gazebo Park into a pedestrian walkway is one of the biggest transformations. Messina enthusiastically supports the change that will create a place for people to stroll, sit and spend time together. But, in a Facebook post, The Write Cup's owner viewed it as a potential negative, writing, 'So by closing down our little street more parking will be eliminated and people won't even have the ability to circle the block to look for parking.' All monuments currently in the park will remain, except the historic firemen's bell that will be displayed at the Johnstown Firefighters Memorial Park that is being developed near the Franklin Street Bridge. Central Park | Downtown Johnstown Downtown visitors stop to view the fountain at Central Park in Johnstown on Thursday, June 12, 2025. The bust of founder Joseph Johns, who included the town square in his original design in 1800, is staying, but the faux cannons on either side of the monument will be taken out. The gazebo will be removed, officials said. The Pasquerilla Fountain, which was installed in the 1990s, is going to be transported to Sandyvale Memorial Gardens and Conservancy in the city's Hornerstown neighborhood. The plan is to use it as a statuary, not a functioning fountain. 'We kind of have to wait until it gets here to see what shape it's in and make sure that we can host it appropriately on site,' Diana Kabo, president of the conservancy, said. '… We're more than happy to host this beautiful fountain or sculpture here at Sandyvale.' Central Park | Downtown Johnstown Joseph Johns statue at Central Park in downtown Johnstown on Thursday, June 12, 2025. The Christmas tree will be put on a teardrop-shaped cement space close to the center of the park, as opposed to the original redesign that placed it near the current intersection of Main Street and Gazebo Park. Village houses, which are synched up with the tree as part of a music and light display, will be placed along the new Park Place and in a patio area where the gazebo currently stands. No Christmas display will be in the park this year due to the pending construction that will get underway after the work is put out to bid and contracts are awarded. 'This year's going to be tough,' Radovanic said. Messina added: 'It's going to be brutal. It will be hard. I'm going to lose Christmas (this year). We all are here. It's a shame, but it can't be helped. It can't be helped.' Radovanic said the partnership is 'pursuing all of our options' in an effort to find a temporary home for the Christmas display in 2025. All of the Central Park work is expected to be completed in time for the 2026 Christmas season. NEW CENTRAL PARK WITH CHRISTMAS 'Change in the plan' The projected total cost is between $6 million and $8 million. Johnstown City Council decided to put that money toward the park from the $30.7 million in federal American Rescue Plan Act funding it received for COVID-19 pandemic relief. Martynuska said he expects a savings of between $800,000 and $1.2 million from the original design to the new one approved by council, mostly by removing proposed rock features that would have cost hundreds of thousands of dollars. Even with the changes, Martynuska said the goal remains the same – to have the remaking of Central Park, combined with other projects, such as a Main Street streetscape, create a 'rejuvenation of downtown.' 'Hopefully, in the end, everybody will benefit,' Britt said. Britt addressed the concerns expressed by some residents and business owners, saying, 'I think that quite naturally nobody likes change. People become accustomed to seeing things certain ways. In my opinion, when you're doing something over or building something new, there's always a change in the plan somewhere. … You're going to have different opinions about different things, but hopefully it turns out that everyone will enjoy it.' Central Park | Downtown Johnstown Downtown visitors sit to talk near the Union Veterans of the Civil War statue at Central Park in Johnstown on Thursday, June 12, 2025. All ARPA money needed to be allocated by Dec. 31, 2024; therefore, any funds set aside for the Central Park work must now be spent on that project. ARPA dollars need to be spent by Sept. 30, 2026, a date that was recently moved up from Dec. 31, 2026. DeBartola suggested the city should just return the money set aside for the park to the federal government. Clark considered the idea, too. 'That would just hurt the city so much,' Clark said. 'It would be very difficult to get funding moving forward because we would have proven that we can't even get a project done once we get the money for it. At the point that we're at now, even though I believe from the get-go there was too much money to spend on Central Park and all that, we're past that point. 'We've got to move forward with the project that we have, get something good done for the people even if I disagree with some aspects of it, and move this project forward.' Clark also emphasized that the project needs to remain within budget, regardless of what unexpected situations might be encountered when construction is taking place, 'because the council will not allocate any more money for the park. This is it.' 'Changes in leadership' Scape displayed the general proposed design for the park in August 2023. Since then, City Manager Ethan Imhoff resigned, then Melissa Komar and Robert Statler served as co-interim city managers, before Martynuska took on the position full-time. There have also been three Department of Community and Economic Development directors over the same period. That coincided with what publicly appeared to be a period of inactivity on the project. 'Those changes in leadership just created disruptions,' Huchel said. Messina said he has been 'disturbed' at the pace of the remodel and how the process has been handled. 'It's been a long process,' he said. 'I was on the original Main Street project team (appointed by City Council). We had a big meeting. There was like 25, 30 of us there. We were all excited about it. That was years ago. And nothing happened. We heard nothing for a couple of years. I was very disappointed. Essentially, that was disbanded.' Thaddeus Pawlowski, an urban designer who is originally from the Johnstown region, helped Scape in the early part of the process by soliciting local involvement and keeping the public aware of what was occurring. 'I probably should have been like, 'You know what, I should just stay involved the whole time,' ' Pawlowski said. 'That's on me. I have other things to do with my life, but obviously I care deeply about this project being successful.' Pawlowski added: 'I think, in retrospect, there were some lessons learned. One is you gotta just keep the public engaged the whole time through this.' Overall, Pawlowski thinks the redesigned park will be 'hugely impactful' and provide a 'positive long-term economic benefit.' PHOTO GALLERY | Central Park | Downtown Johnstown 'Differences of opinion' Scape, which was paid $1.6 million for its work, has left the Central Park and Main Street projects. 'A lot of the conversations had stopped because of change in leadership (in the city), change in personnel,' Martynuska said. 'We reinvigorated that conversation with Scape, started the process, obviously not anew, but reignited, if you will. … None of those conversations were contentious. There were definitely differences of opinion, professional differences of opinion.' Scape founding principal Kate Orff said the turnover in City Hall leadership affected the project and that 'the plan changes were so dramatic as to kind of change the community's vision. Again, it's not our vision. We were like channeling the community's vision.' Orff said the 'better plan was to just separate and let this new process – because it is a new process – play out.' Regarding how the process went, Orff said, 'Scape has delivered signature, beloved public parks for cities around the United States, and we really tried to do that for Johnstown. 'Right now, our park, Tom Lee Park (in Memphis, Tennessee), is on the cover of Landscape Architecture Magazine. We just also won an ASLA (American Society of Landscape Architects) award for a park in San Francisco. 'We wish that the park in Johnstown had a different result and that we could see the community's vision through toward implementation. 'However, this is not the direction that the city wants to go in and we wish everyone the best. Many generations to come will be modifying and changing this park to suit their needs, and that is the beauty of parks and public space.' CJL Engineering, a local company that was originally a subcontractor, has taken over completion of the plan, working with UpStreet Architects. CJL did not respond to an interview request. UpStreet deferred to city officials for comment. Huchel, who is involved with two organizations that border the park – Gallery on Gazebo and Alma Hall – still emphatically supports the original plan. 'I'm really disheartened that people are no longer talking about the Scape design,' Huchel said. 'They're only talking about superimposing that design CJL and UpStreet did over Scape's design. I think it's really disheartening that Scape has had to distance themselves from this project. 'I've said numerous times that we paid $1.6 million for a plan and many of those dollars came back locally to CJL, who was always a subcontractor. But we paid $1.6 million for this plan and now we're using it as toilet paper. I think that's a really irresponsible way for us to use our federal grant dollars.' She said it was 'atrocious' and an 'incredible overreach' to override a 'robust community engagement process and a team of professionals who do award-winning parks all over the U.S.' City officials have recently stepped up messaging about the park, including discussing it during the annual State of the City Address, council meetings, personal interactions with nonprofits and governmental agencies, and a gathering in the park last Saturday.
Yahoo
7 hours ago
- Yahoo
Johnstown mayoral candidates King, DeBartola bring opposing views to Central Park effort
JOHNSTOWN, Pa. – Whether to spend millions of dollars remodeling and modernizing Johnstown's Central Park is a question that exemplifies the city's differing political opinions, including for candidates in this year's mayoral race. Deputy Mayor the Rev. Sylvia King, the Democratic nominee, is part of the establishment that has promoted the project that will include installing new sidewalks, a pavilion for entertainment, monuments walkway, greenery and infrastructure upgrades. King recently voted in favor of a motion approving a final plan for the park that passed Johnstown City Council by a 6-1 vote. Republican Party mayoral candidate John DeBartola, who considers himself a political outsider, has used his platform on Revitalize Johnstown and in public forums to oppose the plan. The project, which is expected to cost between $6 million and $8 million, is being funded by American Rescue Plan Act money for COVID-19 pandemic relief. City Council approved putting the funds toward the park project from among the $30.7 million it received in ARPA money that it was awarded in 2021. 'The vast majority of the public opposes spending $8 million to completely redesign Central Park,' DeBartola said. 'The city could have used that money to remove blight in neighborhoods, build a new police station, or support a grocery store downtown. … It's a shame city leaders prioritized Central Park over the police, fire department or our neighborhoods.' DeBartola added: 'All the public wants is honest and fair leadership. The way the city has handled the Central Park project shows they have neither.' King pointed out that the city used ARPA funds in numerous ways, including programs for home repairs, home purchases, sewer assistance, stormwater upgrades, community neighborhood development, nonprofit assistance, food insecurity and the Frank J. Pasquerilla Conference Center. The money is also linked to the $8 million in the U.S. Department of Transportation's Better Utilizing Investments to Leverage Development grant (formerly Rebuilding American Infrastructure with Sustainability and Equity) for a streetscape in the Main Street corridor. 'The ARPA funds were used as leverage to complement the RAISE grant,' King said. 'Because they are leveraged funds, they are tied to specific projects which were outlined in the RAISE grant application – and therefore cannot be reallocated for other uses. The use of ARPA funds to invest in infrastructure projects supports the revitalization of downtown.' King said the proposed changes will, in her opinion, make Central Park 'more interactive' for visitors and easier for people using mobility aids to navigate, while helping boost the economy. 'Being able to invest in the infrastructure of the city is paramount,' King said. 'The changes being made will stimulate and motivate our local economy. Hopefully it will spark more entrepreneurship initiatives. There will be inconveniences along the way. We ask for your patience during these upgrades.' The RAISE (now BUILD) grant was awarded in 2021. 'After 4 years, the RAISE grant seems to be inching along,' DeBartola wrote in an email. 'The problem is that in those 4 years, the cost of building materials has skyrocketed. The inability to execute the grant has caused us to lose millions due to inflation.'
Yahoo
8 hours ago
- Yahoo
Following ICE subpoena, Chicago city clerk suspending online municipal ID program portal
The Chicago city clerk is suspending the online application portal to a municipal ID program recently subpoenaed by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, the latest defense from local officials grappling with the threat of mass deportations under Republican President Donald Trump. Clerk Anna Valencia announced Friday that her office would take the CityKey online portal offline Friday night, a week after the Tribune reported that ICE subpoenaed her office for the personal information of applicants to the program that is often used by noncitizens. The clerk said that while CityKey's in-person events — which do not leave behind a written trail that identifies applicants — will not be affected, her office decided to halt online applications after other elected officials and community groups expressed concern. 'We did hear, 'Let's pause the online platform temporarily as we take a pulse and evaluate what's happening,'' Valencia said during an interview with the Tribune. 'We're going to assess what's happening daily and where the climate is, and if we feel we are in a different place, we can easily turn the online platform back on, but we are not going anywhere.' The April 17 subpoena from ICE, which Mayor Brandon Johnson's administration has vowed to resist, represents a new frontier in the president's immigration crackdown that has placed Chicago squarely in his crosshairs. But for those familiar with CityKey, news of the federal government's unprecedented hunt for applicants' personal information raised the question of why there were records to subpoena in the first place. When the municipal ID launched in 2017 under Valencia and then-Mayor Rahm Emanuel, they promised the city would not keep identifying documents because the cards would be printed on the spot at in-person events. Years later, crushed by the surging demand during the Venezuelan migrant crisis, Valencia's office debuted a website in December 2024 to sign up for appointments or apply for the card online. Because of local public records law, the city began retaining documents for those online applicants, more than 2,700 as of this month. Valencia said the city's data retention policy does not allow her office to destroy those documents, which are hosted by third-party software vendor Omicron Technology Solutions but under the control of her office. Asked to offer specific advice for past applicants who may be concerned, she pivoted to reassuring the public that their personal information remains safe. 'Listen, I've always been honest and transparent and led with integrity,' Valencia said. 'I know there's a lot of fear out there, so I want to be very clear that we're going to fight giving over any data to the federal government. … No data was given over to ICE, period, zero, for the CityKey.' But that's the exact scenario that Forest Gregg, a data privacy advocate, warned the city against when it sought community and expert input on how to safely implement CityKey before its debut. 'I was shocked,' Gregg said. 'This seemed to me to be the utmost carelessness. This is the kind of information that you really don't want to depend upon only legal protections to protect. … I really feel it's a betrayal of the people who the clerk asked to trust them.' Asked about whether she has any regrets, Valencia sought to instead pin the blame on Trump during her 45-minute sit-down. 'I want to go back to the original problem, that if this Trump administration wasn't overreaching for private people's data, this would not even be a conversation,' Valencia said. 'This is Trump doing a witch hunt and intentionally trying to instill fear in people so that they can overtake our democracy.' During the city's last round of budget hearings in November, Valencia applauded Chicago for becoming 'the first municipality to give residents the ability to apply for an ID online and receive it through the mail.' By then, Trump had been reelected, unnerving many in the liberal city over his promise to enact the largest mass deportation operation in American history. For one former City Hall official who helped create CityKey, the revelation that the clerk's office still went ahead with an online portal left them 'stunned.' 'I can't believe it, and I know others that were part of the project, I talked to them, they are enraged by this as well,' the ex-staffer said. 'The creation of the online portal was a very specific thing that clearly collided with the original design and the intent that introduced risks.' The former member of the Emanuel administration, who requested anonymity to speak freely about internal government deliberations, said the CityKey team back then agreed the program must be 'subpoena-proof,' meaning no digital record could be created given local laws surrounding public records. The city consulted with Electronic Frontier Foundation and the American Civil Liberties Union of Illinois to gauge these concerns. Now, the city is awaiting ICE's next steps after refusing to comply with its subpoena calling on the city to 'provide a copy of the application and all supporting documents for all individuals who applied for a CityKey identification card between April 17, 2022, and April 17, 2025, and used any foreign document as proof of identity, including but not limited to: consular identification card, foreign driver's license, or foreign passport.' The Tribune also obtained an ICE subpoena sent to Chicago's Department of Streets and Sanitation on March 21 that sought payroll records for current and recent employees as part of a worker eligibility audit. Law Department spokesperson Kristen Cabanban confirmed to the Tribune on Friday that the city turned over 'some documents' in response to that subpoena but declined to answer follow-up questions on what those records were. The CityKey subpoena was the first of its kind seeking the program's documents and represents an escalation by the federal government to seize entire batches of private information. And Chicago is not alone. Under the second Trump administration, Colorado too was subpoenaed by federal immigration agents for the personal information of sponsors of immigrant children. Washtenaw County, Michigan, officials were hit with a U.S. Department of Homeland Security subpoena for employment eligibility documents. The White House has also been pressuring the Internal Revenue Service to share data with ICE to identify immigrants for deportations. Earlier this month, the U.S. Supreme Court sided with Trump in allowing his Department of Government Efficiency to access personal data stored in Social Security systems. About 145,800 CityKeys have been issued since its 2017 inception, per the clerk's office. For the period of time in the ICE subpoena — April 17, 2022, to April 17, 2025 — 87,100 individuals had applied for CityKey. However, only 2,700 of them used the online portal that launched in December, the only CityKey applicants for whom identifying records exist today. Though the idea behind Chicago's CityKey originally came from immigrant advocates, the program was billed to be for all Chicagoans, including the LGBTQ, homeless and formerly incarcerated populations, so as not to serve as a scarlet letter for noncitizens without legal status. And critically, the 2017 ordinance establishing CityKey noted, 'The Clerk shall review, but not collect, documents provided by an Applicant.' In May 2024, the City Council signed off on an amendment from Valencia that added, 'Information provided by Applicants utilizing the online platform to obtain a City of Chicago ID will be stored.' Because the ICE summons is only an administrative subpoena, the city does not have to comply. Should the federal government seek a court order, the city can move to quash the subpoena, after which it is in the hands of a federal judge. The decision could be appealed to higher courts. Johnson's Corporation Counsel Mary Richardson-Lowry asserted in a Tuesday news conference that 'with respect to CityKey, we don't believe such an obligation is there' to produce records. 'We respectfully declined within the bounds of the law, given the privacy issues and specifically the exposure of groups like domestic violence victims,' Richardson-Lowry told reporters. 'Should they move toward a court setting, we will respond in kind.' State privacy laws do specifically address the privacy of domestic violence victims. Ron Safer, a former federal prosecutor, successfully represented the city in its lawsuit against the first Trump administration for withholding federal funds because of Chicago's sanctuary city ordinance. He thinks that law applies here too. First established by Mayor Harold Washington 40 years ago and strengthened by city officials during Trump's first term, Chicago's sanctuary city policy bans local law enforcement and city officials from cooperating with federal immigration agents unless they have a criminal warrant. The state has a similar sanctuary law, known as the Illinois TRUST Act. Safer said any potential litigation over the ICE subpoena could entail a constitutional turf war between those local and federal laws. 'It's ironic that this plays out because almost all of the recent jurisprudence would be 'conservative' forces who are resisting federal attempts to usurp state rights,' Safer said. 'These are complex doctrines that we haven't thought of for hundreds of years, because the federal government has never launched an attack on the cities like they have under this administration.' In her interview, Valencia defended her rollout of CityKey by pointing to disclaimers on the online portal about the document retention policy. The website warned users of the following: 'By using the CityKey online platform, you are agreeing to allow the Office of the City Clerk to keep a record of all the information you submit during your application process.' However, data privacy and immigrant advocates who spoke with the Tribune said it's not reasonable for applicants — especially those unfamiliar with U.S. subpoena laws and immigration enforcement — to have understood what they were consenting to when they uploaded their private documents. Daniel Loftus, CEO of the immigrant advocacy nonprofit PODER, said there were 'lines down the block' during past CityKey events hosted by his organization. 'The response has been tremendous, and that obviously tells you that the need to have a government-issued ID,' Loftus said. With respect to the online portal, Loftus said, 'I don't think people understood the risk. And so that, to me, would have to be crystal clear if the city clerk's office were to continue with CityKey and the online portal.' But Gregg, the data privacy advocate, thinks the clerk's office should shut down the entire program because 'they've blown it.' 'I don't think anyone in good conscience could advise someone who needs to have the information to be protected to trust the clerk,' Gregg said. 'Because those records now exist, and it's very hard to put that genie back in the bottle.'
