# The head tax and lease tax are $335 million of the Mayor's plan. Every piece the 28 signers reject, and how they voted before

*The letter objects to two taxes, one-time money, settlement borrowing and $119.8 million in savings nobody has itemized. The roll call for the $75 million meter vote is now posted: all 28 signers voted yes.*

By Chicago Politics · Updated Nov 12, 2026

Two days after 28 alderpersons told Mayor Brandon Johnson his 2027 budget "is a non-starter," neither side had made public a new plan as of Thursday morning. The Finance Committee meets Monday; its agenda wasn't posted yet ([meeting page](/meeting/7F0B31CB-9CC9-F111-AAAE-001DD80FDA55)).

Why it matters: the City has 49 days to pass a budget that closes a gap of about $882 million. The letter's objections cover most of the big pieces the Mayor used to close it. Here is each one with its price, from reporting by the [Chicago Sun-Times](https://chicago.suntimes.com/city-hall/2026/11/10/city-council-aldermanic-opposition-letter-mayor-brandon-johnson-proposed-budget-revamp-demand) and [Block Club Chicago](https://blockclubchicago.org/2026/11/10/city-budget-hits-latest-stalemate-as-council-bloc-demands-mayor-go-back-to-the-drawing-board/), and what our records show the same members did before.

This follows [Wednesday's story](/on-my-block/budget-coalition-28-alderpersons-letter-non-starter-last-year-revenue-vote) on the letter and who signed it.

## The pieces, priced

- **Head tax: about $101 million a year.** $25 per employee per month for businesses with at least 125 full-time-equivalent workers. Johnson's letter said his team is reworking the SEED credits in it, without details.
- **Lease tax: about $234 million.** The personal property lease transaction tax, which covers cloud computing and rented equipment, would rise from 15% to 20%; vehicle leases would stay at 15% and film and TV productions would drop to 11%, Block Club reported. Acting Budget Director Jonathan Ernst said the two-year freeze was dropped because "this is where the economy is moving toward," the Sun-Times reported.
- **One-time money:** the $75 million parking meter payment and $37.7 million from the Treasurer's Catalyst Fund, per the Sun-Times.
- **Borrowing: $480 million** for police misconduct settlements and related costs.
- **Savings: $119.8 million** the Mayor claims but doesn't itemize, the letter says.

The two taxes alone, $335 million, are more than a third of the gap.

## How the signers voted before

**The $75 million is already gone.** The Clerk's roll call for the Nov. 2 special meeting is now posted: the ordinance sending the parking meter payment to the pension funds this year passed 44 to 6 ([O2026-0029681](/matter/O2026-0029681-adding-regarding-ongoing-metered-parking-concession)). All 28 signers voted yes. The no votes were Hall (6th), Moore (17th), Sigcho-López (25th), Ervin (28th), Rodríguez Sánchez (33rd) and Manaa-Hoppenworth (48th). So one of the "one-time" items the letter faults was taken out of the Mayor's plan by the signers themselves ([our story](/on-my-block/council-44-6-parking-meter-75-million-pensions-budget-gap-what-next)).

**The settlements the borrowing would pay.** On Oct. 14 the Council approved $260.8 million to settle 16 lawsuits tied to former detective Reynaldo Guevara, 49 to 0 ([our story](/on-my-block/guevara-wrongful-conviction-settlements-260-million)). Every signer who voted said yes; Ald. Monique Scott (24th) is recorded as not voting. The City's CFO told the Budget Committee that a $350 million settlement bond would cost about $190 million in interest over seven years ([our story](/on-my-block/chicago-budget-hearing-settlement-bonds-190-million-interest-cfo)). The bill is owed either way; the question is whether to borrow for it or pay it from this year's money.

**The Catalyst Fund cuts both ways.** At the Treasurer's hearing, signer Matt O'Shea (19th) said the fund's money should go to the gap "to protect taxpayers," while signer Anthony Beale (9th) argued it should stay with small businesses ([our story](/on-my-block/catalyst-fund-58-million-board-not-met-treasurer-budget-gap-hearing)). The Treasurer said about $30 million for the budget had been discussed, not $37.7 million, and that the fund's board must vote first.

**Last year's alternative.** Twenty-seven of the 28 voted for the Council's own 2026 revenue plan on Dec. 19, 2025, 29 to 19 ([SO2025-0021719](/matter/SO2025-0021719-titles-1-3-4-7-8)).

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

## What the letter doesn't say

The signers haven't published their own list of cuts or revenue. The coalition says it won't do "the heavy lifting" again, the Sun-Times reported. Johnson said Tuesday that no one has offered a viable alternative: "What are they willing to do?"

## What's next

- Nov. 16: Finance Committee.
- Dec. 8: the Council's public hearing on the budget ([R2026-0029546](/matter/R2026-0029546-time-fixed-public-hearing-2027-executive)), with meetings Dec. 8 and 9.
- Dec. 31: the deadline. Last year's budget passed Dec. 20.

*Sources: [Or2026-0029301: Guevara settlements, roll call](/matter/Or2026-0029301-settlement-agreement-regarding-16-cases-regarding).*


## 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. Chicago Sun-Times: [Chicago Sun-Times](https://chicago.suntimes.com/city-hall/2026/11/10/city-council-aldermanic-opposition-letter-mayor-brandon-johnson-proposed-budget-revamp-demand)
10. Block Club Chicago: [Block Club Chicago](https://blockclubchicago.org/2026/11/10/city-budget-hits-latest-stalemate-as-council-bloc-demands-mayor-go-back-to-the-drawing-board/)
11. Chicago Politics: [SO2025-0021719: votes, timeline and summary](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/matter/SO2025-0021719-titles-1-3-4-7-8)
12. 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-letter-objections-priced-head-tax-lease-tax-335-million-signers-votes · Chicago Politics, an independent tracker of the Chicago City Council. Guide for agents: https://www.chicagopolitics.org/llms.txt