Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson budget team now pushing $60M property tax hike in effort to pass agreement before end of 2024

CHICAGO (WLS) — Mayor Brandon Johnson’s budget team is pushing a drastically reduced property tax hike in hopes it might get enough votes to get a budget passed before the end of the year.

The latest number is approximately $60 million.

ABC7 Chicago is now streaming 24/7. Click here to watch

Negotiations have also now eliminated another proposed tax hike that drew a lot of push back.

As the chill of December sets in, many Council members are still not warming up to the idea of a property tax hike of any kind.

“Residents are already squeezed enough, and they cannot afford another property tax,” 23rd Ward Ald. Silvana Tabares said.

The mayor’s $300 million property tax hike was voted down 50-to-0, but the latest working plan has cut that down to just $60 million. That’s about the amount it would go up if the mayor took the automatic increase tied to inflation.

“Well, the fact that we started at 300, and we went to 150. Now, we’re maybe talking about 60 is extremely troubling to me. Because, number one, it appears that, you know, we should have started at 60,” 9th Ward Ald. Anthony Beale said.

The mayor would not talk specifics, saying he won’t negotiate in the media.

But, he made it clear he was dead-set against cuts.

RELATED: Council members propose budget cuts in letter to Chicago mayor to avoid avoid property tax hike

“The people of Chicago say a lot of things to me, but they never say, ‘Mayor Johnson, could you just cut these services? Mayor Johnson can you just lay off more people?” Johnson said.

One alder is proposing the Council be updated on budget data quarterly to avoid the end-of-year scramble now underway.

“Because, if we’re just shooting from the hip at the end of the year, we might find out next year the projections are wildly off, and see a bigger problem,” 40th Ward Ald. Andre Vasquez said.

One proposed revenue source that is off the table now is the increase in the liquor tax, which drew strong opposition from the restaurant industry.

The mayor’s Budget Committee chair predicts some form of property tax increase will eventually pass.

“I think that ultimately we have to fund government at a level that people expect for the services to be continued,” Ald. Jason Ervin said.

For now, the negotiations continue behind the scenes.

“We’re in the midst of negotiations with alders. We’re in the midst of hearing their ideas; we’re in the midst of running numbers based on what they’re asking us,” Budget Director Annette Guzman said.

Johnson said he’s committed to presenting a balanced budget by the end of the year, as required by law, but he stopped short of predicting one would be passed by the City Council to avoid a government shutdown.

Copyright © 2024 WLS-TV. All Rights Reserved.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

You May Also Like
Disturbing surveillance video shows moment UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson was shot outside hotel

Witness describes chilling actions of UnitedHealthcare CEO gunman

A bystander to the early morning assassination of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson…
Andy Cohen Loses It As Kathy Hilton Hilariously Bombs ‘WWHL’ Game: “I Actually Think You’ve Gotten Worse At This Game!”

Andy Cohen’s reaction to Kathy Hilton’s entertainingly poor performance on ‘WWHL’ game: “You seem to have declined in skill at this game!”

Kathy Hilton is a beloved figure in the country. She was featured…
Heating problems at Southwood Middle School, Meadowview Intermediate School in Country Club Hills have parents keeping kids home

Parents are keeping kids home due to heating issues at Southwood Middle School and Meadowview Intermediate School in Country Club Hills

COUNTRY CLUB HILLS, Ill. (WLS) — Some students in two south suburban…
4 city workers fired, placed on Do Not Hire list accuse Ronnie Reese, Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson's ex-top aide, of retaliation

Accusations of Retaliation by 4 City Workers Fired and Placed on Do Not Hire List against Ronnie Reese, Former Top Aide to Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson

CHICAGO (WLS) — As the daughter of two Chicago police officers, public…
Anna Wintour reveals why she always wears sunglasses - even indoors

Anna Wintour explains the reason behind her constant use of sunglasses, even when indoors.

Anna Wintour’s spiky reputation famously inspired the 2006 The Devil Wears Prada,…
Ex-Chicago Alderman Danny Solis finishes testimony in former Illinois Speaker Michael Madigan trial

“Danny Solis Completes Testimony in Michael Madigan Trial”

Testifying against former Illinois House Speaker Mike Madigan at the Dirksen Federal…
Mother stunned to find daughter, 12, handcuffed to a chair when she went to pick her up from school

Shocking Discovery: Mother finds her 12-year-old daughter handcuffed to a chair at school

A New York mother has been left outraged after her daughter was…
Trump's Scathing Wall Street Journal Takedown Shows Why We're Glad 'Mean Tweets' are Back

Why Trump’s Critique of Wall Street Journal Reminds Us Why ‘Mean Tweets’ are Resurfacing

Elon Musk recently made headlines by renaming “Twitter” as X. Meanwhile, President-elect…
McCormick Place operations manager Dominick Gironda charged with pocketing kickbacks from snowplow vendor in Chicago

Chicago: Dominick Gironda, operations manager at McCormick Place, accused of accepting kickbacks from snowplow vendor

CHICAGO (WLS) — An operations manager at McCormick Place has been indicted…
Russian warship 'fires at' German helicopter: NATO reconnaissance aircraft incident over Baltic Sea sparks new conflict escalation fears

Russian warship reportedly shoots at German helicopter: NATO surveillance plane encounter in Baltic Sea raises concerns about heightened conflict tensions

A Russian warship has fired warning shots at a German helicopter carrying…
Daniel Penny jury fixated on single piece of testimony about how Jordan Neely died

Daniel Penny’s jury focused on a specific testimony about the death of Jordan Neely.

The New York City jury, composed of seven women and five men,…
United Healthcare CEO Brian Thompson shot dead in Midtown Manhattan, masked gunman at large outside New York Hilton

CEO of United Healthcare, Brian Thompson, fatally shot in Midtown Manhattan; unidentified shooter wearing a mask remains at large near New York Hilton.

NEW YORK — Brian Thompson, the CEO of United Healthcare, was shot…