Chicago City Council’s Finance Committee voted down Mayor Brandon Johnson’s 2026 revenue proposals Monday, signaling an uphill battle to pass the budget before the end of the year.
The committee’s chair, Ald. Pat Dowell, tried to stall the vote but lacked the support to keep the committee from voting on the budget Monday. The committee voted down the plan 25 to 10.
The steepest hill for the mayor will likely be convincing enough alderpeople to approve his corporate head tax proposal, which would charge large companies $21 per employee per month. Critics have argued the tax would discourage hiring and push employers outside the city.
Last week, Johnson offered to scale down the corporate head tax, only imposing it on companies with 200 or more employees, instead of 100 or more employees as originally proposed. However, it appears that change is off the table, as a substitute ordinance put forth Monday morning showed the proposed tax would once again be imposed on companies with at least 100 employees, with the extra $18 million being used for business grants.
Jason Lee, a top mayoral aide, was spotted with council members in a small copy room at City Hall amid budget negotiations. The mayor’s opponents called the conversations
Johnson’s Chicago corporate head tax plan fails to clear big hurdle
