Johnson’s $17B Budget Approved Without Property Tax Hike

The Chicago City Council narrowly approved Mayor Brandon Johnson’s $17.3 billion budget proposal on Monday, after weeks of debate over the proposed spending plan, including a property tax hike.

After hours of debate and revisions that reduced the proposed property tax from $300 million down to nothing, the plan secured support to pass, with a final vote of 27-23. The spending plan still calls for an array of other taxes and fees to rise by an additional $165.5 million, including a 2% increase in the tax levied on software licenses, cloud services and other digital goods. Additionally, there’s a 1.25% increase on subscriptions to streaming and cable television services.

The newest budget includes plans for the city to eliminate ten positions from Johnson’s office, and reduce staffing in middle management roles. It also sees another $40 million in savings by spreading out debt payments for the city’s purchase of land formerly occupied by Michael Reese Hospital.

“The budget we passed today is an investment towards a better, stronger and safer future for Chicago where our young people, workers and families are prioritized and where equity is no longer an afterthought but the foundation of our decisions,” said Johnson.