Mayor Brandon Johnson’s Budget is ‘Dead on Arrival,’ Council Critic Says
Ald. Anthony Beale Declares Budget ‘Dead on Arrival,’ Predicts Dramatic Changes
Mayor Brandon Johnson’s $17.3 billion budget, with its $300 million property tax increase and a record tax increment financing surplus, is “dead on arrival” and will be dramatically revised by an emboldened City Council, his most outspoken critic declared Thursday.
“Ald. Anthony Beale, the second-most-senior member of the Council, made the doom-and-gloom prediction amid word that the Johnson administration is playing political hardball in an apparent attempt to force recalcitrant alderpersons to come around – just as his predecessor, Lori Lightfoot, had done.
“Ald. Gilbert Villegas (36th), Johnson’s hand-picked chair of the Committee on Economic and Capital Development, said the Johnson administration is trying to keep tabs on what should be routine service requests and “potentially slow down services to get folks in line and pressure us into supporting this outrageous property tax increase.”
Erin Connelly, Johnson’s communications director, said the goal of the newly-implemented policy is not to bully alderpersons into submission. It’s to speed delivery of essential services and ensure those services are delivered equitably and quickly. “The intention is the opposite [of bullying]. It’s to help measure and track and make sure those services are being done appropriately and in a timely fashion,” Connelly said. “That has been an issue for quite some time.”
Mayor’s Budget Faces Resistance
With or without pressure tactics, Johnson faces an almost impossible task in getting the 26 votes he needs for Council approval of what would be Chicago’s largest property tax increase in a decade. Even some allies, including progressive firebrand Ald. Byron Sigcho-Lopez (25th), oppose the increase and are suggesting alternatives, such as skipping a $272 million “pension advance” – a payment in addition to the annual contribution required by state law.
Pointing to Johnson’s 14% approval rating in a recent poll, Beale predicted the spending plan ultimately approved by the Council will look nothing like the document that Johnson introduced.
Ald. Beale Predicts Major Changes
The property tax increase, Beale said, will be dramatically reduced or wiped out entirely. The TIF surplus and pension advance will be smaller. Savings generated by slashing the city’s bloated ranks of middle-managers will pave the way to restore more than 400 police vacancies the mayor wants to cut as part of what Beale called an “incremental, defund-the-police movement.”
Messy Split Within the Council
The mayor’s inability to corral support among his own allies on the Council has led to a messy split within the body. Beale, once a loyal supporter of Johnson, has turned against him, predicting the mayor’s demise.
“This is our moment. This is the City Council’s moment to step up and take our government back and run the city like it’s supposed to be run – with a strong Council, weak mayor,” Beale said.
FAQs
* What is the 2025 budget of Mayor Brandon Johnson?
The 2025 budget is $17.3 billion, with a $300 million property tax increase and a record tax increment financing surplus.
* Why is the Council critical of the budget?
The Council is critical of the budget because of the proposed $300 million property tax increase and the lack of transparency in the budget-making process.
* What amendments has the Council proposed?
The Council has proposed reducing or eliminating the property tax increase, skipping the pension advance, and implementing alternative funding measures.
* What is the current approval rating of Mayor Brandon Johnson?
According to a recent poll, Mayor Brandon Johnson has a 14% approval rating.
Conclusion
The future of Mayor Brandon Johnson’s budget remains uncertain as the City Council continues to grapple with the proposed spending plan. With the mayor facing resistance from both within and outside his own party, it remains to be seen whether he will be able to pass the budget or if it will be dramatically revised or even rejected.
