Under Emanuel's plan, city taxpayers will be contributing hundreds of millions of dollars more a year to the municipal workers' and laborers' pension funds. That, along with increased employee contributions, is designed to ensure the funds have 90 percent of what is owed to workers in benefits within the next 40 years.



To pay for the increased contributions to the municipal fund, the City Council this year approved a new tax on city water and sewer service that will top 30 percent when fully phased in over the next four years. That's expected to raise $239 million a year.



Aldermen already had approved a $1.40 increase in the monthly emergency services fee on all cellular and landline telephones billed to city addresses to raise about $40 million a year for contribution increases to the laborers' fund.



That comes on top of a record $543 million property tax increase to boost contributions to pension funds for police officers and firefighters, and a $250 million property tax increase at the Chicago Public Schools to increase contributions to the teachers' pension fund.