'Collaborator in chief': Chicago mayor willing to negotiate with aldermen working to defeat tax hike

CHICAGO (WLS) -- Mayor Brandon Johnson said during a press conference Tuesday he is willing to continue negotiating with City Council members who are working to defeat his $300 million property tax hike.

It comes as a special City Council meeting is being delayed.

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Aldermanic sources said, at this point, behind-the-scenes budget negotiations could result in the property tax hike being reduced to $135 million, or maybe even $100 million.

The mayor would not confirm any figures, but said he's willing to work with the Council.

As Chicago homeowners wait to see whether the proposed $300 million property tax hike will survive or be modified, the mayor repeatedly stressed he is willing to work with City Council members, who have made it clear they oppose his plan.

"Should the people of Chicago know that I'm serious of working through this dynamic? Absolutely, I'm serious about it. Absolutely, that's why we put the proposal out in the first place, and that's why we're not dictating the outcome and the success of this budget," Johnson said. "I don't necessarily consider it as pushback. I'll say like this. So, as a public school teacher, sometimes we do things to get people's attention. And so now that we have the attention of everyone, I've said from the very beginning, this is a proposal. I am a collaborative mayor."

Alderwoman Emma Mitts said the mayor's team suggested to her Tuesday the property tax hike could be lowered to $135 million.

"Well, today I'm grateful that they took my advice from last week to say, you know, you need to meet with the alderpeoples," 37th Ward Ald. Mitts said.

"I think it's pretty clear that the Council is not supporting a $300 million property tax increase that Mayor Johnson's proposing; you can only go one direction based on that message from the Council," 40th Ward Ald Andre Vasquez said.

Several other ideas have now been floated for raising revenue, including increasing the garbage collection fees, but protecting seniors on fixed incomes.

The mayor's team met with alders on Saturday and again Tuesday to discuss ideas.

"But what I understood was a fluid conversation about revenue, ideas like the personal property tax, you know, for iCloud and other online clouds that could generate as much as almost $100 million," 25th Ward Ald. Byron Sigcho Lopez said.

But, with the property tax hike now questionable, a series of future departmental budget hearings have been canceled or postponed.

"What we know is this: We are working to ensure that we go line by line, to squeeze this budget as much as we can before we ask for $1 more from taxpayers," 15th Ward Ald. Ray Lopez said.

"We knew that there were cuts, there were efficiencies, there's structural things he could do. He's refused to do those," 32nd Ward Ald. Scott Waguespack said of Johnson.

The mayor chided reporters who pushed for details on where negotiations stand at this point Tuesday.

"Here's what you can put in your story, that the mayor of the city of Chicago is true to his word as a collaborator, and we are collaborating considerably. Write this, OK? He is the collaborator in chief," Johnson said.

With these developments and the funeral Wednesday for former Alderman William Beavers, the special City Council meeting set for Wednesday to vote on the property tax hike has been pushed to Thursday.

But Mayor Johnson said layoffs and furloughs are still out of the question, and he won't defer making a supplemental pension payment this year.

The mayor denied misreading the Council when he announced the property tax hike.

"My finance team continues to have robust conversations about other forms of revenue that they should consider," Johnson said.

Asiaha Butler with the Resident Association of Greater Englewood has worked to increase homeownership in that neighborhood.

"It could be 1%, 3%, 5%, whatever the case may be. This is an area that we are all trying our best to hold onto our properties," Butler said. "It's only 23% of us, and many, and that number has dropped significantly because of other things, city fines, taxes, whatever the case may be, and so any increase would be an issue."

For now, talks are continuing.

Johnson on Tuesday also took a hard stance against President-elect Donald Trump's administration's plans to target migrants for deportation, even if it costs Chicago federal funds for law enforcement.

Johnson made it clear he will not compromise his values.

"We're not going to bend or break or cower to someone's threat; we're going to stand up and unite around our shared values, and they have my assurance that I'm going to protect the families of this city," he said.