Voters in four wards backed a corporate tax by 88%. Three of their alderpersons signed Tuesday's letter against the head tax

The advisory question ran in nine precincts of the 5th, 8th, 21st and 24th wards. Alds. Yancy, Harris and Scott signed the letter; Ald. Mosley did not. All four voted for last year's budget without a head tax.

By Chicago PoliticsUpdated Nov 11, 2026

Voters in parts of four South and West Side wards said yes, 3,925 to 513, to an advisory question asking whether alderpersons should tax large corporations to pay for youth jobs, mental health care and violence prevention, Block Club Chicago reported, citing the Board of Elections. That's about 88% of those who answered.

Three of the four alderpersons for those precincts, Desmon Yancy (5th), Michelle Harris (8th) and Monique Scott (24th), signed Tuesday's letter telling Mayor Brandon Johnson they won't vote for a budget with his head tax (our story). Ronnie Mosley (21st) did not.

Why it matters: the Mayor is pointing to the result as proof Chicagoans want large employers to pay more. "The people of Chicago made it absolutely clear," he said, Block Club reported. The alderpersons whose voters answered the question are the ones who vote on it.

The question

It appeared in nine precincts, put there by voter petition rather than by the Council, as we explained before the election. It asked about a tax on corporations with 500 or more employees, excluding grocery stores and nonprofits. The Mayor's proposal is different: $25 per employee per month for businesses with 125 or more, which his office estimates would raise about $100 million a year from about 2.8% of registered corporations, Block Club reported. Johnson didn't say whether he would consider the higher threshold.

The question was advisory. It changes no law. Results are unofficial until the Board certifies them, due Nov. 24, and the Board's results page was unreachable to us at 9:36 a.m. Wednesday, so these totals are Block Club's.

What the alderpersons said

Scott said the question's messaging "may have confused" some voters. "The conversation shouldn't just be about taxing businesses," she told Block Club.
Harris declined to comment; Yancy and Mosley did not respond, Block Club reported.
Mosley has said before that corporations should pay more but that businesses should have a say in how. "Everybody has to pay and help us close this budget gap, corporations included," he said earlier, per Block Club.

All four signed the coalition's first letter against a head tax on Sept. 28, Block Club reported. Mosley's name is the only one from that letter missing from Tuesday's.

What our records add

All four voted yes on Dec. 19, 2025, when the Council passed its own 2026 revenue plan without the Mayor's head tax, 29 to 19 (SO2025-0021719).

How each ward voted

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

Yea Nay Not voting

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

Chicago had an employer head tax from 1973 to 2014. It applied to businesses with more than 50 employees, started at $4 per employee per month, fell to $2 in 2012 and was phased out by 2014. A WBEZ analysis found it raised about $25 million a year and found no clear evidence that it, or its repeal, cost or added jobs, Block Club reported.

Our 2027 race pages for the 5th, 8th, 21st and 24th wards show who filed to run in February. Yancy, Harris and Scott each have at least one challenger.

What's next

The Council's public hearing on the budget is Dec. 8, and the budget is due by Dec. 31.