# 28 alderpersons told the Mayor his budget is a "non-starter." Nearly all of them wrote last year's budget without him

*The letter rejects the head tax, a higher lease tax and new spending. Twenty-seven of the 28 signers voted for the Council's own 2026 revenue plan in December. One September signer, Ald. Ronnie Mosley, is missing this time.*

By Chicago Politics · Updated Nov 11, 2026

Twenty-eight alderpersons sent Mayor Brandon Johnson a letter Tuesday saying his $17.6 billion 2027 budget does not have the 26 votes it needs to pass. "This version of your budget is a non-starter," wrote the group, which calls itself the Budget Accountability Coalition, [CBS Chicago reported](https://www.cbsnews.com/chicago/news/chicago-city-council-majority-tells-mayor-brandon-johnson-his-2027-budget-plan-is-a-non-starter/).

Why it matters: 28 is a majority of the 50-member Council. A budget needs 26 votes when all 50 vote, and the City must have one by Dec. 31. The letter arrived the same day the Budget Committee finished its department hearings.

## What the letter says

- No head tax. The signers "will not vote for a budget that includes a tax on jobs." The Mayor's plan charges companies with 125 or more full-time employees $25 per worker per month, about $101 million a year, CBS reported.
- No lease tax increase. The plan raises the personal property lease transaction tax, which covers equipment rentals and some software and cloud services, from 15% to 20%, about $234 million a year. The letter notes the rate rose from 11% to 15% in the 2026 budget and was supposed to stay there for two years: "We gave Chicagoans our word on that rate."
- No new spending, and less reliance on one-time money and borrowing, [FOX 32 reported](https://www.fox32chicago.com/news/chicago-budget-2027-aldermen-oppose).
- Collect what the City is owed first. The letter cites more than $8.1 billion in debts owed to the City, of which the signers say about $3 billion might be collectible, FOX 32 reported. That figure comes from an Inspector General audit; [more on it here](/on-my-block/budget-hearings-end-inspector-general-14-6-million-8-1-billion-debt-audit).

## The Mayor's answer

In a letter to all 50 members, Johnson said his team is working on changes to the SEED credits in the head tax and to the lease tax proposal, without specifics, and did not drop either, CBS reported. "I remain open to all concepts and look forward to reviewing more options," he wrote. Separately he said, "No one has come up with a viable solution other than saying what they do not want," FOX 32 reported.

Ald. William Hall (6th), who backs the plan, called the push for efficiencies "code word for job cuts" and asked the signers for an alternative budget, FOX 32 reported.

## Who signed

Hopkins (2nd), Dowell (3rd), Yancy (5th), Mitchell (7th), Harris (8th), Beale (9th), Chico (10th), Lee (11th), Quinn (13th), Lopez (15th), Coleman (16th), Curtis (18th), O'Shea (19th), Tabares (23rd), Scott (24th), Cardona (31st), Waguespack (32nd), Conway (34th), Villegas (36th), Mitts (37th), Sposato (38th), Nugent (39th), Napolitano (41st), Reilly (42nd), Knudsen (43rd), Lawson (44th), Gardiner (45th) and Silverstein (50th), per FOX 32.

## What our records add

The same names, a year ago. On Dec. 19, 2025, the Council passed its own 2026 revenue plan, which left out the Mayor's head tax, 29 to 19 ([SO2025-0021719](/matter/SO2025-0021719-titles-1-3-4-7-8)). Twenty-seven of Tuesday's 28 signers voted yes. The 28th, Stephanie Coleman (16th), is recorded as not voting.

How each ward voted: [SO2025-0021719](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/matter/SO2025-0021719-titles-1-3-4-7-8)

The two other yes votes on that plan, Ronnie Mosley (21st) and Ruth Cruz (30th), did not sign Tuesday's letter. Mosley did sign the coalition's first letter, on Sept. 28, which had 29 names, [CBS reported in September](https://www.cbsnews.com/chicago/news/chicago-city-council-letter-2027-budget-demands-mayor-brandon-johnson/). He is the only September signer missing now. His ward is one of four where voters last week backed a tax on large corporations in an advisory question ([our story](/on-my-block/corporate-tax-referendum-5th-8th-21st-24th-wards-88-percent-yes-alderpersons)).

Members said much the same at the hearings. At Monday's Treasurer hearing, Ald. Matt O'Shea (19th) said a majority of the Council had told the Mayor it would not support a head tax or "phantom dollars coming from Springfield" ([watch](/meeting/1D6DFF77-94C9-F111-AAAE-001DD80B58E5?t=3350)).

## What's next

- Nov. 16: the Finance Committee meets ([meeting page](/meeting/7F0B31CB-9CC9-F111-AAAE-001DD80FDA55)).
- Dec. 8: the Council's public hearing on the budget ([R2026-0029546](/matter/R2026-0029546-time-fixed-public-hearing-2027-executive)), with Council meetings Dec. 8 and 9.
- Dec. 31: the deadline. Last year's budget passed Dec. 20, CBS noted.


## Legislation in this story

- [Amendment of Municipal Code Titles 1, 3, 4, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 14A, 14B, 14X and 15 (2026 Municipal Code Revenue Ordinance Alternative)](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/matter/SO2025-0021719-titles-1-3-4-7-8) (SO2025-0021719)

## Sources

1. City Clerk: [SO2025-0021719: Amendment of Municipal Code Titles 1, 3, 4, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 14A, 14B, 14X and 15 (2026 Municipal Code Revenue Ordinance Alternative)](https://chicityclerkelms.chicago.gov/Matter/?matterId=39036309-ECD5-F011-8543-001DD8018EAF)
2. City Clerk: [SO2025-0021719, Legislation: NEW UPDATED SO2025-0021719 Substitute Ordinance 2.pdf](https://occprodstoragev1.blob.core.usgovcloudapi.net/matterattachmentspublic/27253856-496b-4f12-81be-4d69dddfcc7a.pdf)
3. City Clerk: [SO2025-0021719, Legislation: UPDATED Substitute Ordinance SO2025-0021719.pdf](https://occprodstoragev1.blob.core.usgovcloudapi.net/matterattachmentspublic/9860dd46-7fc7-4a91-9ed1-9abd5ca83301.pdf)
4. City Clerk: [SO2025-0021719, Committee Letter: SO2025-0021719 C.L..pdf](https://occprodstoragev1.blob.core.usgovcloudapi.net/matterattachmentspublic/a6de8bc2-64b9-4280-81f2-4f564575b881.pdf)
5. City Clerk: [SO2025-0021719, Legislation: O2025-0021719 Revenue Ordinance.pdf](https://occprodstoragev1.blob.core.usgovcloudapi.net/matterattachmentspublic/dc392f47-b5c4-4514-8b9f-679c93011ee7.pdf)
6. City of Chicago: [City Council, Dec 19, 2025: meeting video](https://vimeo.com/1147756540)
7. City Clerk: [City Council, Dec 19, 2025: Agenda](https://occprodstoragev1.blob.core.usgovcloudapi.net/meetingattachmentspublic/53e4dd02-fec2-4762-b368-34b24a23eaca.pdf)
8. City Clerk: [City Council, Dec 19, 2025: Notice](https://occprodstoragev1.blob.core.usgovcloudapi.net/meetingattachmentspublic/f47bf8a5-b0da-f011-8543-001dd80c6da5.pdf)
9. CBS News: [CBS Chicago reported](https://www.cbsnews.com/chicago/news/chicago-city-council-majority-tells-mayor-brandon-johnson-his-2027-budget-plan-is-a-non-starter/)
10. fox32chicago.com: [FOX 32 reported](https://www.fox32chicago.com/news/chicago-budget-2027-aldermen-oppose)
11. CBS News: [CBS reported in September](https://www.cbsnews.com/chicago/news/chicago-city-council-letter-2027-budget-demands-mayor-brandon-johnson/)
12. Chicago Politics: [SO2025-0021719: votes, timeline and summary](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/matter/SO2025-0021719-titles-1-3-4-7-8)
13. Chicago Politics: [City Council, Dec 19, 2025: transcript](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/files/transcripts/1147756540.txt)

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Source: https://www.chicagopolitics.org/on-my-block/budget-coalition-28-alderpersons-letter-non-starter-last-year-revenue-vote · Chicago Politics, an independent tracker of the Chicago City Council. Guide for agents: https://www.chicagopolitics.org/llms.txt