Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson addressed concerns on Tuesday regarding the recent wave of departures among key financial officials in his administration, asserting that the city remains stable despite the changes. The latest resignation came from Annette Guzman, director of the Office of Budget and Management, who is stepping down to care for her ailing mother. Guzman’s exit follows earlier departures by acting Chief Financial Officer Steven Mahr, his deputy Noor Shaikh, and CFO Jill Jaworski, leaving two of the top three finance positions without permanent leaders just weeks before the introduction of the 2027 city budget.

Johnson attempted to quell worries about potential instability, emphasizing his ongoing leadership as the primary source of continuity. “They have stability. They have stability in me,” he said during a City Hall news conference. The mayor described himself as the visionary guiding the administration’s mission and stressed that his team would continue working toward the goals he outlined regardless of individual personnel changes.

The timing of Guzman’s departure has raised questions among city officials and budget watchers amid Chicago’s significant fiscal challenges. The city faces a $90 million shortfall midway through the current fiscal year, a projected $1 billion budget gap next year, and an ongoing pension crisis with liabilities totaling approximately $36 billion. Two of the city’s four employee pension funds are nearing insolvency, despite recent city loans intended to cover liabilities without selling assets.

The repeated high-level resignations come ahead of what is expected to be a difficult budget season and shortly before an important investors conference. Some aldermen, including 19th Ward Alderman Matt O’Shea, have voiced concerns about the leadership vacuum, questioning who is “minding the store” during this critical period. A coalition of City Council members calling itself the Budget Accountability Coalition also released a statement demanding a clear plan for addressing long-term structural financial issues, revenue shortfalls, and reforms necessary to avoid credit downgrades.

Johnson rejected suggestions that Guzman’s resignation reflects fractured relationships within City Hall or the council, attributing her decision to personal family obligations. He drew comparisons to his own experience with an aging parent, insisting such circumstances should not be politicized. The mayor also framed political tensions surrounding the city’s budget process as a necessary element of pursuing policy goals, contrasting it with past budget rebellions that limited mayoral influence.

Since taking office, Johnson has faced notable resistance from the City Council, including a 29-member bloc of moderate and conservative aldermen who gained control of the budget process last year and rejected his proposed property tax increase. Despite the internal challenges and staff turnover, Johnson said he prioritizes progress toward a “safe and affordable” city over the absence of conflict, signaling his willingness to maintain a contentious political environment if it advances his administration’s objectives.