Chicago Alderman Andre Vasquez took issue with punitive measures used by the city for unpaid fees, suggesting a "graduated fee structure" based on annual income rather than the current code, which allows the city to revoke business licenses.

"Our office has always been more supportive of graduated fines and fees, where the costs are determined by the annual income of the person who has committed the infraction," Vasquez, alderman of the 40th Ward, told the Southland Marquee. "In a time where we have seen more collisions, road rage incidents and deaths by vehicle, it makes sense to have accountability, but it is also fair to have a graduated system because flat fees impact different people differently based on the their income."

A city policy under Cook County code gives the city the right to revoke a business license for unpaid traffic tickets. Sec. 54-391 of the Cook County Code of Ordinances states, "The license of any person who has failed to pay any fine, assessment of costs or other sum of money owed to the County pursuant to an order of the Department of Revenue, an order of the Department of Administrative Hearings or a court order, by the due date indicated in the order, or within 30 calendar days of becoming a debt due and owing may be suspended by the Department of Revenue, in accordance with its rules and after affording a hearing. The license shall be suspended until such time that the fine, assessment of costs or other sum of money has been fully paid."

As Southland Marquee previously reported, local pastor Tyrone McGowan called it "regressive policy" that prevents people from working by revoking their license. "Historically, the City of Chicago has built its economy and attempted to balance its budget off of criminalizing Black and Brown bodies," McGowan said. "This ticket policy is just another way the City is oppressing communities of color."

ProPublica Illinois reported in 2018 that approximately 1,000 Chapter 13 bankruptcy filings in 2007 were for unpaid tickets, with the average debt to the city at about $1,500. As of last year, there were more than 10,000 Chapter 13 bankruptcy filings, with the average debt around $3,900.

Between 2007 and 2021, the city increased the costs of ticket fines, license suspensions and advanced its traffic camera program, ProPublica reported. The city of Chicago had issued more than 3 million tickets each year as of the 2018 report. According to the Chicago Sun Times, vehicle "booting" and ticketing are two of the city government’s biggest revenue generators.

Former Uber driver Gary Poyser was removed from the platform and was unable to work due to unpaid debt to the city, according to Flexible Work News. “I don't think they should stop people from driving because of tickets,” he said. “It’s holding back a lot of people. Uber wasn't able to resolve my problem. It's not an Uber issue. It’s a city issue.”

Poyser said he tried to use the city payment plan to pay back the debt. “If you shut down somebody to make no income, what are you saying to society? That you don't care,” Poyser told Flexible Work News. “It’s pretty much creating an evil force with people who aren’t able to go to work because they don't have the freedom of their license.”