Chicago City Council unanimously rejects Mayor Johnson's property tax proposal

CHICAGO - Mayor Brandon Johnson presided over a special meeting of the Chicago City Council on Thursday where alderpeople unanimously voted down his property tax proposal.

"It's a devastating loss for Mayor Johnson. I've been here 17 years. I've never seen this kind of vote take place," said 32nd Ward Alderman Scott Waguespack.

The meeting was originally scheduled for Wednesday, but canceled and rescheduled for the following day.

All 50 council members voted against Johnson’s proposal for a $300 million property tax increase. The mayor had recently acknowledged he would need to find another way forward.

"This is a healthy process. This is something we can handle. I'm not intimidated by voices from individuals who are city leaders in their own respects, so this is a good thing for Chicago," Johnson said. 

The mayor said he is working with alderpeople on alternatives. Some have suggested legalizing and taxing hemp products, while others have proposed a tax on cloud computing companies.

But Waguespack said many alderpeople feel left out of the process.

"If he's looking to get attention by socking it to seniors and families with a massive tax hike, it's not the way to govern," Waguespack said. 

Council ally, 28th Ward Alderman Jason Ervin, said the revenue has to come from somewhere if city services are to remain unchanged. 

"If you ask people in a vacuum whether you want higher taxes, the answer is always no," Ervin said. "But if you ask them, do you want your garbage service cut? Do you want street lights on only for two hours instead of all night? When you ask those questions, the answers become different." 

A group of alderpeople also proposed funding to reinstate ShotSpotter, the controversial gunshot detection system that was canceled by the mayor. 

A letter from Attorney General Kwame Raoul raised "grave" concerns about proposed Chicago police cuts that could jeopardize compliance with the consent decree.

Prior to the meeting, Johnson had taken the proposed $300 million property tax hike off the table to work with council members on other ways to fill the budget. The mayor proposed the property tax increase, he said, to avoid massive layoffs that would have included first responders.

The hike would have cost homeowners more than $200 on a home valued at $250,000.

A property tax increase is still a possibility, just not as big. The council has to have a budget by the end of the year.