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Despite the setback Mayor Brandon Johnson faced when his proposed head tax was rejected by a Chicago City Council committee on Monday, he remains determined to pursue the initiative. Meanwhile, alderpersons who oppose the tax are exploring alternative solutions over the coming weeks.
Some council members believe that before seeking contributions from businesses to address budget concerns, the mayor should focus on cutting costs within City Hall itself.
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“If I were in the mayor’s position, I would bring in an audit team to scrutinize procurement over the next few weeks, aiming to identify more areas for savings,” suggested Alderman Scott Waguespack of the 32nd Ward.
Waguespack, who previously chaired the Finance Committee, along with other alderpersons against the head tax, has been examining the budget to propose alternatives to the projected $100 million revenue from the tax. Suggestions include cost reductions in procurement contracts and improvements in fleet management.
“According to E&Y, the average city vehicle is only driven 7,000 miles annually,” noted Alderman Bill Conway of the 34th Ward.
Alderpersons are convinced they can show the mayor $100 million worth of efficiencies that will not hurt taxpayers. But Budget Committee Chairman Jason Ervin doubts it.
“The only way you get from where we are today to $100 million less is to make cuts to vital services that we know that city residents need and deserve,” Ervin said.
Ervin, the mayor, and his allies are trying to present a narrative that without a head tax, cuts to city services, specifically public safety, and layoffs are the only options. Some outside groups, such as the Black Matters Voters Fund, are trying to tie alderpersons opposed to the head tax as defenders of billionaires and President Donald Trump.
“You are either support working people, or you are going to support corporations; that is what this budget it about,” Johnson said.
“I think it’s a false narrative to cast our budget in that way,” said Finance Committee Chairman Ald. Pat Dowell.
The mayor’s handpicked finance committee chairman adamantly opposes the head tax, arguing it will kill jobs and push businesses away from Chicago. She says the mayor must meet alderpersons in the middle.
“We have to look at ways that we can be more gray, not black and white. That is government,” Dowell said.
While alderpersons come up with alternatives, the mayor will spend the next few weeks possibly tweaking his head tax proposal to change some “no” votes to ‘yes” votes. Johnson needs 26 votes, or 25, if he wants to be the tiebreaker.