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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 PoliticsUpdated

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.

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.
  • 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.

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). Twenty-seven of Tuesday's 28 signers voted yes. The 28th, Stephanie Coleman (16th), is recorded as not voting.

How each ward voted

29 yea, 19 nay, 2 not voting · Dec 19, 2025 · Passed

Ward 1: Daniel La Spata: NayWard 2: Brian Hopkins: YeaWard 3: Pat Dowell: YeaWard 4: Lamont J. Robinson: NayWard 5: Desmon C. Yancy: YeaWard 6: William E. Hall: NayWard 7: Gregory I. Mitchell: YeaWard 8: Michelle A. Harris: YeaWard 9: Anthony Beale: YeaWard 10: Peter Chico: YeaWard 11: Nicole T. Lee: YeaWard 12: Julia M. Ramirez: NayWard 13: Marty Quinn: YeaWard 14: Jeylú B. Gutiérrez: NayWard 15: Raymond A. Lopez: YeaWard 16: Stephanie D. Coleman: Not votingWard 17: David H. Moore: NayWard 18: Derrick G. Curtis: YeaWard 19: Matthew J. O'Shea: YeaWard 20: Jeanette B. Taylor: NayWard 21: Ronnie L. Mosley: YeaWard 22: Michael D. Rodriguez: NayWard 23: Silvana Tabares: YeaWard 24: Monique L. Scott: YeaWard 25: Byron Sigcho-López: NayWard 26: Jessica L. Fuentes: NayWard 27: Walter R. Burnett: NayWard 28: Jason C. Ervin: NayWard 29: Chris Taliaferro: NayWard 30: Ruth Cruz: YeaWard 31: Felix Cardona Jr.: YeaWard 32: Scott Waguespack: YeaWard 33: Rossana Rodríguez Sánchez: NayWard 34: William Conway: YeaWard 35: Anthony J. Quezada: NayWard 36: Gilbert Villegas: YeaWard 37: Emma Mitts: YeaWard 38: Nicholas Sposato: YeaWard 39: Samantha Nugent: YeaWard 40: Andre Vasquez Jr.: Not votingWard 41: Anthony V. Napolitano: YeaWard 42: Brendan Reilly: YeaWard 43: Timothy R. Knudsen: YeaWard 44: Bennett R. Lawson: YeaWard 45: James M. Gardiner: YeaWard 46: Angela Clay: NayWard 47: Matthew J. Martin: NayWard 48: Leni Manaa-Hoppenworth: NayWard 49: Maria E. Hadden: NayWard 50: Debra L. Silverstein: Yea
Yea Nay Not voting
1Daniel La Spata: Nay2Brian Hopkins: Yea3Pat Dowell: Yea4Lamont J. Robinson: Nay5Desmon C. Yancy: Yea6William E. Hall: Nay7Gregory I. Mitchell: Yea8Michelle A. Harris: Yea9Anthony Beale: Yea10Peter Chico: Yea11Nicole T. Lee: Yea12Julia M. Ramirez: Nay13Marty Quinn: Yea14Jeylú B. Gutiérrez: Nay15Raymond A. Lopez: Yea16Stephanie D. Coleman: Not voting17David H. Moore: Nay18Derrick G. Curtis: Yea19Matthew J. O'Shea: Yea20Jeanette B. Taylor: Nay21Ronnie L. Mosley: Yea22Michael D. Rodriguez: Nay23Silvana Tabares: Yea24Monique L. Scott: Yea25Byron Sigcho-López: Nay26Jessica L. Fuentes: Nay27Walter R. Burnett: Nay28Jason C. Ervin: Nay29Chris Taliaferro: Nay30Ruth Cruz: Yea31Felix Cardona Jr.: Yea32Scott Waguespack: Yea33Rossana Rodríguez Sánchez: Nay34William Conway: Yea35Anthony J. Quezada: Nay36Gilbert Villegas: Yea37Emma Mitts: Yea38Nicholas Sposato: Yea39Samantha Nugent: Yea40Andre Vasquez Jr.: Not voting41Anthony V. Napolitano: Yea42Brendan Reilly: Yea43Timothy R. Knudsen: Yea44Bennett R. Lawson: Yea45James M. Gardiner: Yea46Angela Clay: Nay47Matthew J. Martin: Nay48Leni Manaa-Hoppenworth: Nay49Maria E. Hadden: Nay50Debra L. Silverstein: Yea

SO2025-0021719: the roll call, the timeline and the documents

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. 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).

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).

What's next

  • Nov. 16: the Finance Committee meets (meeting page).
  • Dec. 8: the Council's public hearing on the budget (R2026-0029546), with Council meetings Dec. 8 and 9.
  • Dec. 31: the deadline. Last year's budget passed Dec. 20, CBS noted.