"Chicago's public pensions, with $35 billion in unfunded obligations, are in the worst shape of any major U.S. city. Leaders have debated solutions for years, but new ideas are urgently needed," writes Crain's Chicago Business. "Last fall, the University of Chicago's Harris School of Public Policy launched its inaugural Harris Policy Innovation Challenge to find novel and workable solutions to the pension crisis. More than 50 graduate students from across UChicago's professional schools took on the challenge of designing feasible and effective proposals to stabilize the city's annual pension contribution at its 2023 levels for the next 30 years. Today, three finalist teams will present their proposals at a "Shark Tank"-style event where a panel of judges composed of municipal finance experts will select a winner."
Read each team's op-ed via the links below:
Opinion: Here's a roadmap to financial stability with Chicago's pensions
By Syed Ahmad , Anthony Beaupre , Liam Gluck , James Karsten , Greg Rudd
Opinion: To fix Chicago's pensions, consider a change in public opinion
By Eddie Andujar , Andy Fan , Andre Oviedo , Alberto Saldarriaga
Opinion: Two paths to funding Chicago's pension future
By Anna Weiss , Purva Sarkango , Devyanshi Dubey