The questions
Crain's Forum asked Mayor Brandon Johnson to reflect on his first few months in office. Questions were submitted in writing and responses returned via email. This transcript has been edited for length and clarity.
5 questions for Johnson on his
first 100 days
By Judith Crown and Cassandra West
John R. Boehm for Crain's Chicago Business
Read story
What has surprised you about Chicago after 100 days in office?
01
Answer
Brandon Johnson: I didn't know the economic power of Taylor Swift and Beyoncé fans. That was impressive. But in all seriousness, while I have always believed in the power of the people of Chicago, and never doubted what the people of Chicago can achieve, it has been incredibly heartening to feel the soul of Chicago alive and well in every corner of the city. You can feel something special happening, you can feel our community growing and uniting. Whether it's among massive crowds at big events like Lollapalooza or in small groups of people coming together to help their fellow neighbors — the people of Chicago feel our city is coming together. I hope we can build on that excitement I felt from Chicagoans this summer and deliver for folks across the city. There's obviously a lot of work still to do, and much of it will take years, not days, but I do feel like things have shifted and we're moving in the right direction.
Bloomberg
Photo by Adobe Stock
Read story
How would you describe your emerging management style?
02
Answer
Brandon Johnson: First and foremost, I know you can't do this job alone. It not only takes talented people, it requires engaging and organizing on the grassroots level. When it comes to my team, I've looked for people who can fit the three C's: collaborative, compassionate and competent. That's what it takes to run a government that works efficiently and effectively for the people of Chicago. That collaboration, compassion and competence go beyond just the relationships with others in city government, it must also be present in our engagement with everyone, from the business community to community organizations.
John R. Boehm for Crain's Chicago Business
Photo by John R. Boehm for Crain's Chicago Business
Read story
What have you learned from other big city mayors?
03
Answer
Brandon Johnson: I recently sat down with my colleagues from Houston, Los Angeles and New York City. All four of us, Black mayors of the four largest cities in the country, are facing many of the same challenges, and thankfully we have been able to share advice in a spirit of collaboration rather than competition. Whether it is learning how to navigate with federal partners, seeing how other cities find creative ways to strengthen community safety, or just talking through the stresses and responsibilities of the job, it's been invaluable, and I'm deeply grateful for their support.
Photos by Bloomberg
Photo by Bloomberg
Houston Mayor
Sylvester Turner
New York Mayor
Eric Adams
Los Angeles Mayor
Karen Bass
Read story
You have vowed not to demonize youth from disinvested communities and make teen employment a public safety priority. Did this summer yield the results you wanted?
04
Answer
Brandon Johnson: While we have only been in office for 100 days, we've moved quickly to deliver on the mandate from voters from across the city to lift up and support young people. This work takes time, but we've been able to expand year-round youth employment to 24,000 jobs by taking an all-hands-on-deck approach that brings everyone together across government, philanthropic and business sectors. That collaboration is key to allowing Chicago's young people to develop critical skills, engage with the community, and build a brighter future for themselves, and for all of us. We are still mourning the unconscionable losses of far too many young people to gun violence this summer, but I know we are building that progress together. Right now, we are looking forward to the upcoming school year, and I've been able to get to work with the diverse new school board that brings together school parents from local community, business and philanthropy to create learning environments that support our children in the classroom and beyond.
Steve Hendershot for Crain's Chicago Business
Photo by Adobe Stock
Read story
You campaigned on "a stronger, better, safer Chicago." What movement are you seeing toward those goals?
05
Answer
Brandon Johnson: My top priority in my first 100 days has been delivering a safer Chicago, whether that is in my home neighborhood of Austin on the West Side to Morgan Park to Rogers Park, and everywhere in between. It's true that we've seen the number of shootings and carjackings both decrease by about 10%, but we also know that building a better, stronger, safer Chicago goes beyond statistics. I recently put forward Chief Larry Snelling to serve as CPD superintendent. I selected him in part for his remarks in his interview process, where he discussed how the department must create stronger bonds of trust with the community, demonstrated a strong commitment to work with violence interrupters and the entire public safety ecosystem, and spoke of his belief that at the heart of public safety is compassion, empathy and problem-solving. That goes hand-in-hand with our efforts to rapidly expand youth employment, increase funding for community safety projects and create 4,000 new community safety jobs. We still have more to go, but I know the pieces are in place to achieve our goals.
Courtesy of Chicago Police/YouTube
Photo by John R. Boehm for Crain's Chicago Business
Read story