CHICAGO — Mayor Brandon Johnson is all but giving up on his proposed $300 million property tax hike before aldermen kill it, and pushing them to find other revenue in its place to avert layoffs. Johnson’s administration is combing over alternatives to ...

The mayor is open to a “plethora of ideas” so long as they don’t compromise his core values of “investing in people” through summer jobs, community safety, behavioral health and affordable housing but also avoiding layoffs and furlough days and continuing to make additional payments on

Mayor Brandon Johnson reversed course after learning aldermen had teamed up to call a Wednesday city council meeting to defeat the tax.

Twenty-two of the City Council’s 50 members met Saturday with top mayoral aides, including Johnson’s budget team, to begin negotiations that, some alderpersons said, should have started long before Johnson belatedly introduced his $17.

Mayor Brandon Johnson sought to reframe the property tax increase at the center of his $17.3 billion 2025 budget as a conversation starter after City Council came out hard against the proposal.

Mayor Brandon Johnson broke a campaign promise by proposing a $300 million property tax increase to fund his $17.3 billion budget. On Wednesday the city council will vote, and the signs are not good for Johnson.

Twenty-nine alderpersons from across the political spectrum signed a letter calling for a special meeting Wednesday.

The Chicago City Council will continue budget hearings this week while Mayor Brandon Johnson's proposed $300 million property tax increase is top of mind for aldermen. Many city leaders have called for a special meeting to reject the proposed increase to make room for alternative solutions to close a nearly $1 billion projected deficit.

One day before City Council plans to say no to his $300 million property tax hike, Mayor Brandon Johnson publicly walked away from his proposal.