Following strong opposition from Chicago’s City Council, Mayor Brandon Johnson suggested earlier this week that his proposed $300 million property tax hike was always negotiable.

“So as a public-school teacher, sometimes we do things to get people’s attention, and so now that we have the attention of everyone, I’ve said from the very beginning, this is a proposal,” Johnson said on Tuesday. 

Today, the Chicago City Council unanimously rejected his proposal in a meeting scheduled to vote on Johnson’s tax hike plan. Johnson implied that his proposed tax hike was a tactic to increase engagement among aldermen and draw attention to the city’s $982 million budget deficit, reported the Chicago Tribune.

Johnson will likely begin the process of figuring out other ways to fund his budget. The mayor has said without the property tax hike, layoffs and furloughs would be unavoidable, but there are other options to generate revenue such as raising the garbage collecting fee and other various small taxes.

Michael Brennan will receive Connect CRE’s Lifetime Achievement Award and will participate in the Keynote Interview with Kevin Brennan, also of Brennan Investment Group. Join us at Connect Industrial Midwest 2025 on the afternoon of Wednesday, March 5, at Joe’s Live in Rosemont, IL, for this exclusive presentation!