Mayor Johnson's latest Chicago budget proposal will not include property tax hike, sources say

CHICAGO (WLS) -- When the Chicago City Council reconvenes Monday afternoon, the big question is will Mayor Brandon Johnson have enough support to call for a vote on the city's budget? And will there even be a new budget proposal to vote on in place? Political observers say not likely.

The questions come as sources told ABC7 Sunday that Mayor Johnson's latest budget proposal will not include property tax hike.

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When Mayor Brandon Johnson abruptly adjourned Friday's City Council meeting, he did so to avoid what would have been an embarrassing defeat as his second budget proposal failed to attract the minimum 26 votes needed to pass. The mayor's $68.5 million property tax hike was still too much to stomach for too many in City Council.

"While this may have been have been a massive defeat for Mayor Johnson today, it was a major victory for Chicago taxpayers who've been calling my colleagues for the last several weeks demanding cuts in the budget," 42 Ward Ald. Brendan Reilly said.

While the mayor insisted Friday that he's taking ideas from every direction, continuing to call himself the city's "collaborator-in-chief," the city's political observers say his biggest problem so far is failing to talk to those who stand in opposition to him.

"There is a fresh round of briefings and conversations going on and the same 35% to 40% of the council that hasn't been included in recent months still isn't being included," Civic Federation President Joe Ferguson said. "That's not governing."

Over the last month, City Council has rejected the mayor's budget plans twice, voting unanimously to reject what was initially a $300 million property tax hike. They are calling on the Johnson administration to make cuts to the budget and trim the fat off his proposals.

"The key question on the table is, is Mayor Brandon Johnson willing to accept furloughs and some job cuts in order to get to a budget?" Better Government Association President David Greising said.

Some are saying that furloughs may be one of the few options available, insisting there is a lot of work that needs to be done ahead of time to make massive budget cuts happen, work that has so far not taken place.

READ MORE | Stalled Chicago budget deal has some questioning effectiveness of Mayor Brandon Johnson, staff

With City council members now apparently in the driver's seat, it is good old fashioned horse trading that is paving the way to 26 votes.

"There's $50,000 here, there's $30,000 here. There's the promise of a fieldhouse that we have absolutely no capacity to build," Ferguson said.

The city needs to have a budget in place by December 31 in order to avoid a government shutdown. Also of concern is that either the final outcome, or even just the political instability, will lead to a downgrade in the city's credit rating.