Politics
Chicago’s $880 million budget gap puts business taxes and ticket debt at center of 2027 plan
Mayor Brandon Johnson is expected to ask City Council to raise taxes on large employers, software leases and sports betting as he seeks to close Chicago’s projected $880 million deficit. The proposals face resistance from council members, while City Clerk Anna Valencia is pushing a separate plan to help residents and businesses settle outstanding fines and fees.
Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson is scheduled to present his 2027 budget proposal to City Council at 10 a.m. Wednesday, with a package of tax increases expected to help address an $880 million budget deficit.
The plan comes about five months before Chicago’s next mayoral election, as Johnson seeks a second term in a crowded race. Several of the proposed revenue measures are likely to face debate in a City Council that rejected the mayor’s corporate head tax during last year’s budget negotiations.
Johnson is expected to renew that proposal, charging businesses with at least 125 employees $25 per employee annually. The city estimates the tax would raise $102 million. Twenty-nine council members have already written to Johnson opposing a corporate head tax, arguing it could drive businesses out of Chicago.
Johnson has said the measure would require corporations to pay what he considers their fair share and help prevent more of the budget burden from falling on residents. His proposal is expected to include rebates for companies in economically disadvantaged areas on the South and West Sides.
Other anticipated measures include raising Chicago’s personal property lease tax—often called the “Cloud” tax—from 15% to 20%. The tax applies to businesses that rent or lease property, including digital software, for their operations. Johnson is also expected to propose increasing the city’s sports wagering tax from 10.25% to 20%, which is projected to generate an additional $37 million.
The budget plan would expand the city’s Smart Streets camera program, which tickets vehicles parked illegally in bike and bus lanes. The expansion is projected to bring in $18.8 million. A vehicle debt amnesty program is expected to generate another $6 million.
Johnson is also expected to propose borrowing hundreds of millions of dollars to pay police misconduct settlements. That could include costs associated with a recently approved $261 million settlement for 17 people exonerated in murder cases connected to former Chicago Police Commander Reynaldo Guevara.
The mayor’s proposal faces a difficult path through the council. Last year, a coalition of moderate and center-left alderpersons advanced a competing budget that became law after winning a council majority. Johnson neither signed nor vetoed it.
City Clerk Anna Valencia plans to introduce separate ordinances offering a three-month amnesty period for city tickets, fees and fines. The city has about $1 billion in outstanding debt, including parking and speed-camera tickets, water charges and business fines, Valencia said.
“We have a billion dollars of debt on the books we’re not seeing any revenue for,” Valencia said. She argued that a temporary settlement offer could provide relief while helping the city recover some of the money owed; collecting 10% would bring in $100 million, she said.