At least 25 Chicago City Council members presented the mayor with an alternative budget. Their revenue proposals include an increased liquor tax, rideshare congestion fees and a bigger garbage collection fee.
"The garbage tax was imposed almost a decade ago, $9.50. It cost the city $37 per can to do that service. So, there's an opportunity at taking a look at creating revenue from that," said 36th Ward Ald. Gilbert Villegas.
The alternative budget includes over $90 million worth of efficiencies and $150 million in debt collections. The budget does not include the controversial corporate head tax. Alderpersons argue the $21 per employee tax for businesses with over 100 employees is a job killer.
"The mayor has said, a 100-person company is a billion-dollar corporation, or it's a large corporation. And I tell you that the gentleman that owns four muffler shops that has 102 people in my ward is not a millionaire or a billionaire," Villegas said.
Johnson often uses the word "billionaire" to describe the businesses that would be subject to the head tax. The mayor is not backing off. For him, it is personal.
READ MORE | Mayor's team rejects alderman's alternatives to corporate head tax in proposed Chicago budget
"Poverty sucks. Poverty sucks. These people are playing games with working people in this city. We're talking about $100 million in a $6 billion budget," Johnson said.
Johnson has shaped the head tax battle as a working people vs billionaire fight. On Tuesday, he attacked political organizations against the head tax for misinformation campaigns.
"I think it's beneath these so-called business leaders to lie to the public," Johnson said.
The Chicago Teachers Union has spent money on their own campaign supporting the tax, telling the public alderpersons against it will raise property taxes. The alternative budget does not include a property tax hike. The mayor denies the CTU campaign is misleading.
"No, that's not misleading. What these corporations are doing is an absolute, absolute failure. It's a lie. And so no, I think what they're doing is advocating for working people," Johnson said.
As opposing alderpersons give revenue ideas to the mayor, he is still counting votes. The city council has until the end of the year to pass a budget, and the mayor could call for a vote as early as next week.
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