Chicago budget vote postponed as council, mayor still search for agreement

[December 14, 2024]  By Jim Talamonti | The Center Square

(The Center Square) – Mayor Brandon Johnson and the Chicago City Council still don’t have a budget agreement.

Reports surfaced early Friday that the mayor did not have enough votes to pass a budget, which included more than $230 million dollars in higher taxes and fees.

At Friday’s council meeting, which started about 30 minutes late, Alderman Jason Ervin motioned to recess until Monday. The motion passed before a budget vote could be taken. The mayor then adjourned the meeting and hurried out of the chamber.

Several aldermen protested the move, and a number of angry residents shouted their opposition to the meeting’s abrupt end.

Alderman Anthony Beale stands opposed to Johnson’s property tax hike.

“Today, what you saw is a continuation of the circus that’s going on here in the city council, especially in the mayor’s office. The mayor’s not cooperating with us. He’s not collaborating with us in order to do the cuts and efficiencies that the budget needs,” Beale told The Center Square.

The Ninth Ward alderman said the mayor and his allies just want more spending.

“I think he’s hopefully gotten the message that the people of Chicago are no longer tolerating all this frivolous spending, and they want cuts and efficiencies,” Beale said.

Aldermen unanimously rejected the mayor’s proposed $300 million dollar property tax increase last month.

An analysis of the mayor’s most recent proposal showed a property tax increase of nearly $70 million, with annual increases matching the consumer price index. Taxes also would increase on personal property leases for nearly $130 million. Taxes on streaming services would increase nearly $13 million. Taxes would also go up on parking lots and garages, rideshares, and store checkout bags.

The seal of the city of Chicago on a podium at a news conference - Chicago Mayor's Office | Facebook

After Friday’s brief council meeting, Johnson insisted that the city is very close to having a budget.

“We’re gonna keep working, and we’re gonna keep collaborating with alders to pass a balanced budget before the end of the year,” the mayor said.

The mayor referred to himself as “collaborator-in-chief” and said the budget work would continue over the weekend.

“Our team is working hard to work with every single alder as well as other stakeholders, right? It’s alders, it’s other interest groups, it’s labor,” Johnson explained.

The mayor said the full council could vote on an amended budget next week, and a new agreement would not have to go back into committee.

If the council does not pass a budget by Dec. 31, the city’s bond rating might be affected and some government programs could stop operating.

Beale said people will continue to leave Chicago if things don’t change.

“Our budget has grown faster than New York, California, Houston, all of them. We have a spending problem, and we have to get it under control,” Beale concluded.

Greg Bishop contributed to this story.

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