Pritzker pushes back on Mayor Johnson’s $16 billion Chicago budget

Pritzker pushes back on Mayor Johnson’s $16 billion Chicago budget

Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson’s administration on Tuesday began the process of securing votes to pass his more than $16 billion city budget.

CHICAGO - Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson’s administration on Tuesday began the process of securing votes to pass his more than $16 billion city budget.

But the mayor is already encountering pushback — including from members of his own party.

What we know:

Johnson’s team has started working to persuade City Council members to support the plan, though many are wary of the new taxes it includes.

A key point of contention is a proposed corporate head tax that would charge $20 per employee each month for companies with more than 100 workers.

On Tuesday, Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker, a fellow Democrat, came out strongly against the idea.

"I am absolutely four square opposed to a head tax for the city of Chicago. It penalizes the very thing that we want, which is, we want more employment in the city of Chicago…," Pritzker said. 

Pritzker made his remarks at the Economic Club of Chicago, while Johnson defended the proposal, saying the revenue is needed to support mental health and public safety programs.

The mayor is also pushing for a higher cloud computing tax and a new tax on social media companies — both of which could face legal challenges.

Johnson said the city’s economy remains strong and that the proposed taxes would not slow its growth.

"This is the most diverse economy in the entire country. We're talking about 3 percent of large corporations who just received a tax benefit from Donald Trump. I think when it comes to the number one issue in Chicago, which is to keep us safe, these investments in our police officers, these investments in survivors of domestic violence, our investment in young people, which is important to me… that's a worthwhile investment to continue to drive violence down in the city of Chicago," Johnson said. 

What's next:

City Council members will continue budget discussions over the next several weeks before a final vote expected by the end of the year.