Toward a Righteous Budget

Toward a Righteous Budget 

“Budgets historically have been balanced on the backs of Black, Brown, and working people in Chicago. It is time, as a city, that we reject that kind of budgeting and begin to pursue what I believe is more of a righteous budget.” 
— Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson

People of faith and goodwill know a thing or two about righteousness. The concept sits at the heart of many of our religious and spiritual practices. In the Christian tradition, the word comes from the Hebrew sedeq and the Greek dikaiosyne. Both speak to the work of being in a good relationship and alignment with God and with God’s people. 

So when the mayor of America’s third-largest city speaks of creating a “righteous budget,” our ears perk up. It invites us into conversation. And it compels us to ask: What does it mean for a budget to be righteous? 

What Makes a Budget Righteous? 

1. Rooted in Care and Values
A righteous budget begins with care for people and for the environment. It must be grounded in values like dignity, stewardship, and compassion. For example, allocating resources to address climate resilience, such as flood protection in neighborhoods most at risk or expanding mental health clinics across the city, demonstrates a commitment to these values.

2. Equity and Fairness in Responsibility
Those with greater means must carry a greater share of the burden. This includes corporations and wealthy individuals who often receive preferential treatment through subsidies and tax breaks. A righteous budget ensures they contribute fairly, whether through progressive taxation, closing corporate loopholes, or reinvesting public dollars into communities rather than corporate giveaways.

3. Prioritizing the Poor and the Vulnerable
As Scripture teaches, we are called to care for “the least of these.” A righteous budget prioritizes investments in affordable housing, fully resourced public schools, reliable public transit, and violence prevention programs. It is a budget that strengthens safety by strengthening communities.

4. Participation from the People
Finally, a righteous budget must meaningfully involve the voices of everyday people. That means holding public hearings in neighborhoods, ensuring translation and accessibility, and creating spaces where working families, young people, and elders alike can weigh in. Righteousness is not declared from on high; it is built together.

Beyond Partisan Lines 

The call for righteousness is not partisan. Whether Democrat, Republican, or Independent, leaders are accountable for using the budget as a tool to be in the right relationship with both divinity and humanity.

So, Community Renewal Society (CRS) endorsing the idea of a righteous budget is not a call to partisan politics. It is not a wholesale endorsement of a party leader or even of a party. It is, however, a moral clarion call. It is the celebration of a public commitment from a political leader that aligns with our closest-held values. This, at a time when more and more political leaders seem hell-bent on harm and not help! 

Words Must Become Action 

Of course, speaking about righteousness is not the same as delivering it. We applaud Mayor Johnson’s public commitment to a new way of budgeting. That is more than a step in the right direction. CRS and our leaders welcome this vision and invite the mayor into a deeper conversation with faith and community leaders to ensure the needs of all our communities are lifted up. 

By contrast, at the federal level, we see a stark example of the opposite. The recently passed and so-called “Big Beautiful Bill” is the very definition of unrighteousness. Unlike what Mayor Johnson is suggesting, it is a budget balanced on the backs of poor and working people, cutting vital supports and stripping away public services from those who need them most.  

The Work Ahead 

The work of building a righteous budget and a righteous city belongs to all of us. As people of faith, we are called to partner in that work, to hold leaders accountable, and to embody righteousness in our public life. 

Join us in the struggle for economic justice. Together, we can build a city whose budget reflects care, fairness, and the God-given dignity of all people. 

With Love and Lament,

Keron Blair
Community Impact and Special Projects Consultant