(David Mark / Pixabay)

Mayor Lori Lightfoot is scheduled to detail what is expected to be a massive budget shortfall triggered by the economic crisis caused by the coronavirus pandemic on Aug. 31, kicking off a series of virtual town hall meetings designed to allow Chicagoans to help craft solutions.

Until the beginning of June, Lightfoot insisted that Chicago was well prepared to weather the economic storm whipped up by COVID-19. However, after a stay-at-home order kept most businesses shut down for more than two months only to reopen and be hit with two waves of unrest, Lightfoot has warned the city’s finances are in a precarious position.

Lightfoot has called a property tax hike and layoffs of city staff a “last resort” — but warned they may be unavoidable unless the federal government approves another round of relief for cities. Although the Democratically-controlled U.S. House of Representatives approved a package of additional aid for states and cities, its passage has been blocked by the Republican-controlled Senate and President Donald Trump.

“This year’s budget will be exceptionally challenging due to the impacts of COVID-19,” said Budget Director Susie Park.

In June, Lightfoot announced the pandemic had blown a $700 million hole in the city’s budget, the last time she gave a detailed update on the city’s finances.

The budget forecast, released by the city in August 2019, detailed a dire financial condition for 2021 — even before the pandemic hit and scrambled every aspect of the city’s operations.

That forecast predicted that if the economy slid into a recession, the city’s deficit could swell to $1.6 billion in 2021.

Most of that projected deficit was due to the soaring bill for the city’s pensions, which will reach $1.8 billion in 2021, up from $1.7 billion in 2020, according to city records.

After Lightfoot’s budget address, Park will host hourlong virtual town hall meetings focusing on specific city departments. The sessions will be live-streamed onFacebookat from 6 to 7 p.m. Sept. 1 through Sept. 4, officials said.

The first town hall, set for Sept. 1, will focus on the city’s public safety budget amid calls for officials to reduce spending for the Chicago Police Department. In 2020, the city planned to spend $1.7 billion on public safety.

In addition, city officials asked residents to sign up as budget ambassadors, who will be charged with organizing and facilitating one-hour virtual or in-person focus groups with no more than 10 community members from Sept. 7 to Sept. 20 “to gather feedback about the needs and values most important to residents.” For more information,visit the city’s website.

Contact Heather Cherone:@HeatherCherone| (773) 569-1863 |[email protected]