Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson’s chief financial officer, Ashlee Gabrysch, abruptly resigned after three months, saying that staying in the role would compromise her financial integrity and professional obligations.

Her departure lands in the middle of a contentious 2027 budget fight: 28 alderpeople had urged Johnson to reconsider proposals including a corporate head tax and an increase to the city’s lease tax, and a majority of aldermen said they would not support the plan as written.

A central dispute is how the administration describes the budget gap: Johnson’s team lowered its estimate from $882 million to $662 million after excluding planned borrowing for police settlements, while Gabrysch said the costs belonged in the gap and borrowing was only a one-time measure.

The administration also accused Gabrysch of directing a $75 million payment toward pension funds before the relevant ordinance took effect, without legal authority or proper process; the City Council had approved directing proceeds from the parking-meter operation toward pensions, but Acting Corporation Counsel Renee Hatcher told Gabrysch she lacked authority to make the payment on November 6.

Ald. Bill Conway said Gabrysch’s letter raised the possibility that she was asked to present false information and called for an immediate investigation, while Ald. Pat Dowell sought an independent audit and Ald. Scott Waguespack called for a City Council hearing.

Johnson’s office accepted her resignation effective immediately and said it had asked the City’s Office of Inspector General to conduct an independent review; Comptroller Michael Belsky was named acting CFO.

The controversy is especially consequential because the CFO oversees city debt, long-term planning, financial reporting and relations with credit-rating agencies, and doubts about the accuracy of Chicago’s financial statements could further weaken its credit standing.

Gabrysch had been expected to help manage a proposed $480 million debt issuance for settlements through 2028, including $260 million for victims of former Chicago Detective Reynaldo Guevara.

Chicago’s bond rating and investor confidence are already under pressure: three rating agencies downgraded the city after last year’s budget, and analysts warn that the latest turmoil could deepen concerns and narrow the pool of bond buyers.

The turnover adds to a broader pattern, with budget director Annette Guzman and previous CFOs Jill Jaworski and Steven Mahr among other senior officials who have left the Johnson administration in the past year.

The City Council must approve a balanced budget by year-end; Johnson has proposed raising the Personal Property Lease Tax from 15% to 20%, a change projected to generate about $234 million, but has signaled possible revisions to that and the proposed head tax without releasing details.