A special Chicago City Council meeting next week could derail Mayor Brandon Johnson’s plan to raise property taxes

CHICAGO (WLS) — The Chicago City Council will hold a special meeting next week and may vote on Mayor Brandon Johnson’s proposed property tax increase.

The mayor said the tax increase is needed to fill the nearly $1 billion budget gap.

ABC7 Chicago is now streaming 24/7. Click here to watch

But 31 councilors called that special meeting to try to derail the proposal and come up with a new budget before the end of the year.

SEE MORE: Johnson’s CPD budget could jeopardize progress on reforms required under a court-ordered consent decree

Councilman Ray Lopez is one of them.

“If two-thirds of the City Council says no to a property tax increase, there is no excuse for us to do this whole two-week exercise through December, only to have to start over again simply because we couldn’t pass the budget . Lopez said.

Budget hearings are underway at City Hall, and Council members are examining the mayor’s proposed spending plans for the various city departments.

But the overarching concern is Johnson’s call to raise property taxes.

“I stand with my community. My community has contacted me via email and phone calls, asking me not to support a $300 million property tax increase,” 30th Ward Ald. said Ruth Cruz.

Councilor Emma Mitts met with the mayor on Thursday.

“I think it really shocked them. I can tell you that. “I saw some commotion yesterday before I left City Hall when the letter went out,” Mitts said.

Mitts said many of her residents are still recovering from the floods two years ago and cannot afford a tax increase.

She said the mayor was willing to scale back on his original plan.

“I think it didn’t go, it won’t be that number, probably not the $300 million, maybe looking for ways to reduce that,” Mitts said.

But the mayor had not shared that news with the chairman of the Budget Committee.

“Council has the ability to change that. However, we have to make changes on both sides. We just can’t change it, reduce revenues and not reduce expenses, because that puts us in an imbalanced situation,” said 28th Ward Ald. said Jason Ervin.

Council members are almost in rebellion against raising property taxes.

“And now it’s us who have to organize to figure out where we get their money from? It’s $55 million in rainy day funds. It’s a hurricane right now. And so, I mean, there’s a tsunami of the corridor,” 20th Ward Ald. said Jeanette Taylor.

“And I think we need to do more to look at efficiencies and cuts before we go back to the taxpayers,” 19th Ward Ald. said Matt O’Shea.

Wednesday’s meeting may not resolve the property tax impasse, but it has alerted the mayor that more than half of councilors are demanding changes to the budget.