Chicago’s next mayor will face deep financial problems, massive deficits and a pension hole

CHICAGO — On the campaign trail, both mayoral candidates paint sweeping visions of a shinier, more prosperous Chicago under their watch.

Brandon Johnson is known to deploy food analogies to explain why he believes the city — which he calls “one of the wealthiest economies in the world” — should invest in its poorest residents.

“What I’ve said repeatedly is that, too often the politics of Chicago, it forces communities to fight over one pie,” Johnson said in a radio interview the day after he made the April 4 runoff. “My philosophy is let’s just make more pies.” The Cook County commissioner has also used cakes, Oreos, grits and salsa for his “there’s enough for everybody” metaphor.

Paul Vallas, on the other hand, nearly runs out of breath at times as he outlines his multipronged plan to “seize” dilapidated buildings and vacant lots and shore up funding to inject new life into the South and West sides. The former Chicago Public Schools CEO has referred to this bundle of financial tools as his own “Burnham Plan,” in reference to the ambitious 1909 blueprint to reimagine the city.

“My legacy is not going to be public safety. My legacy is not going to be balancing budgets. My legacy — my real legacy — is going to be what I do to revitalize