She says she has done pretty well. Preckwinkle says she's guided by four goals: fiscal responsibility, innovative leadership, transparency, and improved services. She stressed that she focused on finances because she inherited a budget deficit.
"Despite a roughly $500 million deficit, we balanced the fiscal year 2011 budget," Preckwinkle said. "This budget included a provision to fully roll back the sales tax increase by cutting it 1/4 of 1 percent in January of 2012, and 1/4 of 1percent in January, 2013."
Preckwinkle says her big challenge is providing good services with fewer resources.
