Nightly syncs to the official Socrata dataset with rank, department, and compensation context.
Built for operators turning Chicago data into action
Chicago's Money started as a Bronzeville spreadsheet for community organizers. It now powers outreach teams, lenders, and journalists who need transparent salary, permit, and budget intelligence while they move across the city.
Permits, business registrations, inspections, FOIA releases, and Council agendas.
Mobile templates let reps brief a neighborhood before a meeting or canvass.
How we work the open-data stack
Data plumbing
Direct Socrata pulls
We ingest payroll, permits, inspections, and Council votes directly from the City of Chicago and Cook County datasets.
QA & context
Editorial checkpoints
Data journalists annotate anomalies, overtime spikes, and policy changes so mobile readers see what matters.
Delivery
Tap-first packaging
Every feed is compressed into cards, swipable streams, or SMS-ready recaps for field usage.
Core tools:
PostgreSQL materialized views, serverless fetchers, and a mobile-optimized CDN cache keep payloads light and current.
Who we serve daily
Budget explainers in minutes
Pull vetted salary context with quotes, ordinance references, and timeline markers for newsroom alerts.
Fresh permit & prospecting feeds
Target renovation permits, new LLCs, or food inspections to power lender and agency outreach.
Ward-level accountability
Track staffing changes, contract approvals, and overtime in neighborhood context for board meetings.
Snapshots from the field
Bronzeville pilot
Weekly canvassing kit pairing salary highlights with upcoming zoning hearings for small-business owners.
- Automated ward briefings delivered by SMS.
- Hot sheets for Invest South/West projects.
- Permit alerts cross-referenced with vendors.
Loop newsroom desk
Rapid-fire Council updates that turn into explainers about budget amendments and payroll votes.
- Calendar hooks for Finance Committee hearings.
- Overtime spikes flagged within 15 minutes.
- Source notes linked to ordinance PDFs.
Timeline
2021 · Excel sheets in Bronzeville
Community organizers needed quick answers on which departments were adding headcount and overtime. Chicago's Money launched as a volunteer spreadsheet.
2023 · APIs & nightly syncs
We deployed serverless collectors to keep salary and permit feeds within a 24-hour freshness window.
2024 · Mobile command center
The mobile experience shipped so canvassers, reporters, and lenders could operate the entire intelligence stack from their phones.
Questions we hear the most
How fast do salary updates publish?
Employment changes sync within hours of hitting the city portal. Nightly automation confirms new hires, retirements, and overtime adjustments.
Can we request custom views?
Yes. Agencies and civic partners can commission ward, department, or compliance views delivered via daily SMS or Slack webhooks.
Do you cover Cook County or State of Illinois data?
Cook County payroll is in beta with similar mobile packaging. State-level feeds are available for enterprise partners; ask for access in the contact form.
Ride along with our daily drops
Subscribe for mobile briefings that track payroll changes, budget votes, permit filings, and neighborhood momentum.
Delivered each weekday by 7:30am CT with optional SMS alerts when major records drop.