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Mission

Melissa Conyear-Erving in conference room

The Office of the City Treasurer serves as the banker, investor and custodian of public funds for the City of Chicago and the four City of Chicago employee pension funds. As the City’s investor, the Treasurer’s office oversees a $9 billion portfolio designed to protect and grow the city’s investments.

The Treasurer’s Office is committed to fulfilling this mission in a highly professional and ethical manner, while striving for transparency, efficiency, and preservation of public trust.

The Office of the City Treasurer serves as the banker, investor and custodian of public funds for the City of Chicago and the four City of Chicago employee pension funds. As the City’s investor, the Treasurer’s office oversees a $9 billion portfolio designed to protect and grow the city’s investments.

The Treasurer seeks to do more than simply earn money for the city; she seeks to positively impact the individual lives of Chicago residents in every neighborhood. The Office equitably promotes financial empowerment and small business growth in Chicago’s neighborhoods, working to ensure that every community has the tools it needs to develop and sustain its small businesses. The Office seeks to provide valuable services to citizens through research, best practices in financial management, and transparent, data-driven decision-making.

The City Treasurer has three main functions:

  • Banker: The City Treasurer is responsible for maintaining all records and accounts associated with the City’s operating funds, as well as the escrow accounts held with various trustee banks.
  • Investor: The City Treasurer is the Chief Investment Officer for the City and is responsible for managing the City’s investment portfolio.
  • Advocate: The City Treasurer is authorized to conduct educational programs, provide counseling, and disseminate information regarding financial education, small business support, and access to banking for residents of the City.

The Treasurer’s Office is driven by a set of core values that inform our programs and decision making:

  • Empowerment: We work to provide taxpayers with the resources and tools they need to be successful and create greater financial stability in their lives today and tomorrow.

  • Collaboration: We understand that progress cannot be achieved alone. We seek input from stakeholders including taxpayers, small business owners and other governmental departments to ensure that our efforts represent our constituents’ needs.

  • Inclusion: We value inclusive practices and equitable approaches in all of our actions, from the services we offer to the voices we amplify.

  • Responsiveness: We invite and welcome input from Chicagoans of all stripes and use that input to inform the programs and services we offer.

  • Continuous improvement: Our office strives for excellence but raises our own bar daily. We have high expectations for what we can achieve.

Future orientation: Everything we do is guided by improving the financial lives of Chicagoans, whether a few months from now or a generation down the road. We work with Chicagoans to understand the future they want and work backward to determine how best to get there.

Integrative: We understand that the financial wellness of our taxpayers is inextricably tied to the city’s safety and stability and even the physical health of those who live here. We view our actions from a holistic perspective and work to ensure that our financial stewardship leads to better outcomes for Chicago and those live in its communities.