Mayor Johnson is pushing ahead with his revised 2026 proposed budget despite Finance Chair Pat Dowell's opposition to a corporate head tax at any level. The revised plan imposes the $21 per-employee tax only on Chicago companies with 200 or more employees, a move that has drawn criticism from business leaders and their allies.
Dowell, a key ally of Johnson, declared her opposition to the tax in an interview with the Chicago Sun-Times. "I don't support the head tax at any level," she said. "It's a tax on jobs." Dowell acknowledged that she had no idea whether Johnson has the votes to pass the plan through the Finance Committee, but expressed a desire to engage in further discussions about the budget.
Despite Dowell's opposition, Mayor Johnson remains committed to his goal of passing the revised budget before Thanksgiving. He has challenged Dowell and other critics to propose alternative revenue-generating ideas, suggesting that they can work together to find common ground. "If there are some ways in which we can make adjustments based upon progressive revenue... If there are some progressive revenue ideas that have not been brought before us, there's still time," the mayor said.
Johnson acknowledged that Dowell's opposition has created a roadblock, but argued that it was not unexpected. He pointed to her previous statements on the issue and noted that she had joined a group of council members in signing a letter expressing concerns about his proposal. The mayor also noted that he had made concessions in response to criticism from business leaders and their allies.
With the Finance Committee set to review the revised plan, Mayor Johnson is bracing for a potentially contentious debate. He has expressed frustration with critics who are opposing the tax, suggesting that they are prioritizing the interests of large corporations over those of working people. "There's a clear choice here," he said. "We're either going to challenge the ultra-rich... or you're going to balance this budget off the backs of working people."
The stakes are high, with the mayor facing the risk of another budget stalemate if his plan fails to pass. Last year's budget process ended in a 27-23 vote after the Council rejected the mayor's proposed $300 million property tax increase. If Mayor Johnson's revised plan is defeated, he could be forced to seek a new compromise or face the consequences of another failed budget.
Dowell, a key ally of Johnson, declared her opposition to the tax in an interview with the Chicago Sun-Times. "I don't support the head tax at any level," she said. "It's a tax on jobs." Dowell acknowledged that she had no idea whether Johnson has the votes to pass the plan through the Finance Committee, but expressed a desire to engage in further discussions about the budget.
Despite Dowell's opposition, Mayor Johnson remains committed to his goal of passing the revised budget before Thanksgiving. He has challenged Dowell and other critics to propose alternative revenue-generating ideas, suggesting that they can work together to find common ground. "If there are some ways in which we can make adjustments based upon progressive revenue... If there are some progressive revenue ideas that have not been brought before us, there's still time," the mayor said.
Johnson acknowledged that Dowell's opposition has created a roadblock, but argued that it was not unexpected. He pointed to her previous statements on the issue and noted that she had joined a group of council members in signing a letter expressing concerns about his proposal. The mayor also noted that he had made concessions in response to criticism from business leaders and their allies.
With the Finance Committee set to review the revised plan, Mayor Johnson is bracing for a potentially contentious debate. He has expressed frustration with critics who are opposing the tax, suggesting that they are prioritizing the interests of large corporations over those of working people. "There's a clear choice here," he said. "We're either going to challenge the ultra-rich... or you're going to balance this budget off the backs of working people."
The stakes are high, with the mayor facing the risk of another budget stalemate if his plan fails to pass. Last year's budget process ended in a 27-23 vote after the Council rejected the mayor's proposed $300 million property tax increase. If Mayor Johnson's revised plan is defeated, he could be forced to seek a new compromise or face the consequences of another failed budget.
. Dowell's opposition isn't surprising, but it'll be interesting to see if anyone can come up with alternative revenue ideas 
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. First of all, why does it only apply to companies with 200+ employees? Sounds like a way to target specific industries and create more favoritism for big corporations. And what about the "progressive revenue ideas" that Mayor Johnson keeps talking about? I think he's just trying to sweep everything under the rug 
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. One minute she's against the tax, and the next she's saying she wants to engage in discussions. It's like she's trying to buy time for the mayor to figure out a way to pass this thing without actually addressing the concerns of working people.
It's like, how are they supposed to make ends meet if they're paying $21/employee? 
Not to mention all the people who would lose their jobs... 
I think Pat Dowell is right on this one, it's a tax on jobs and that's just not fair. 
Maybe we can find other ways to raise revenue without putting so much pressure on our city's workers? 
. Like, it's just $21 per employee... how big can that really hurt them? 
And what's up with Pat Dowell being all like "it's a tax on jobs" tho? 
Another city official is throwing a wrench into the works... just when we thought it was going to be smooth sailing 
. Finance Chair Pat Dowell's opposition to that corporate head tax has set off alarm bells and now Mayor Johnson is scrambling to keep his revised 2026 budget on track 
. The fact that business leaders are already claming it's a "tax on jobs" isn't helping matters 
. Will we get a compromise or just another budget stalemate? Guess we'll have to wait and see... not looking good for working people 
Like, I get it, the corporate head tax is a big deal for businesses with a lot of employees, but come on, who doesn't love the idea of making life harder for everyone else? And yeah, Pat Dowell saying she's all about finding common ground is just super convincing 
. Can we just have a straightforward conversation about how this tax might affect actual people instead of just business leaders and their PR people? 
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. I'm not sure if that's gonna fly with everyone... especially if there are no alternative revenue ideas on the table 
It's all so complicated! 
So Mayor Johnson thinks he's got some folks who are gonna just magically propose some alternative revenue ideas... yeah right! It's like expecting me to find $10 on the street by closing my eyes and making a wish 
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It remains to be seen whether they can find common ground or if the stakes will remain high, leading to another potentially contentious debate in the Finance Committee.
I don't think it's fair to say that dowell is just being a "roadblock" though... she's speaking up for what she believes in, which is important 
and yeah, business leaders are getting all bent outta shape about the corporate head tax 
but at the same time, it's like, isn't that kind of the point? shouldn't we be taxing corporations more for all the money they're making off workers' labor? 
. And honestly, I'm low-key worried about another budget stalemate – it's not like the stakes are really that high or anything 
Instead of challenging corporate interests, he should be working with Dowell and others to find a middle ground. The corporate head tax might not be perfect, but it's better than leaving billions uncollected in taxes. 
. This whole thing feels super contentious and I don't want to see any jobs lost 
. Can we find a compromise that works for everyone? 