>> By the narrowest possible margin.

The Chicago City Council approved a plan to borrow 830 million dollars to rebuild Chicago's crumbling roads, sidewalks and bridges.

While supporters say the plan would make crucial repairs possible opponents warn the deal would saddle the next generation of Chicagoans with a massive amount of debt.

Let's listen to today's to be.

>> We need to.

Become self-sufficient.

I think this is very wise very smart rebuild the to make sure that we cause self sustain ourselves for future, but infrastructure that we need.

>> If you find yourself in a hole, the first thing you do is you stop big game.

Short-term benefits.

Worth decades of financial harm.

We can fund important projects, invest in Chicago, but we don't have towards our children's future and saddle them with reckless debt.

>> And our Heather Sharon joins us now with more.

Heather, final vote was 26 to 23.

Why was it so close and why was this proposal so controversial?

Well, it really found itself caught between a rock and a hard place.

The rock in this case is the city's precarious financial condition.

The city already owns nearly 29 billion dollars in general obligation, debt on top of the city's nearly 37 million dollars in pension debt.

So the thought of borrowing more money was really hard for some older people to stomach.

>> The hard place was the fact that many older people don't trust.

Mayor Brandon Johnson to spend this money the way that he says that he will instead this proposal was accused of being sort of a slush fund for various projects and to sort of help the Chicago public schools figure out how to make a pension payment.

It is struggling to cover and to cover the upcoming teachers contract, which is yet to be result.

Now, that's not true.

But the mayor had hard time convincing the older people that this was just for infrastructure, even though most people love infrastructure Wright who doesn't like avoiding a pothole on the way to work.

love a good road or, you know, bridge that functions.

how did the mayor get past, though, despite the spire store while he relied on his base just like he did in the 2023 election this past with the support of all.

But 4 members of the City Council's Black caucus and the entire progressive caucus.

Now it had it not done that it would not have passed because it was opposed by conservative all older people, including some who have aspirations for the big chair themselves, hoping to carve out a more fiscally responsible lane.

They hope could help them in the 2027 mayoral election which believe it or not is right around the corner and nobody is more ready for the wounded.

Before we let you go, what projects to the city plan to pay to pay for with this part?

So most of this money will go to roads and bridges and sidewalks.

A big chunk of it, though, will be spent at the direction of the individual older person and they can use it on really whatever they want in their words, as long as it's a lasting improvement.

The big issue is, is that the city's not going to start paying down this debt for nearly 20 years under schedule outlined for BI CFO Joe Torre ski on last night's show and that they say is a problem because who knows what the city's financial condition will be next 5 years, much less the next generation.

Who knows.

All right, Heather Sharon, as always, thank you.

Thanks.