The Finance Committee’s 14-12 vote and Budget Committee's 17-to-16 vote set the stage for the marathon budget stalemate to end Friday, averting what might have been Chicago's first budget shutdown.

It’s one step toward the spending plan coming to the full council for an up or down vote, which could happen as soon as Friday.

It appears the mayor still does not have the votes to get the budget approved by the full City Council, and critics have accused him of trying to buy votes.