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Gov. Pritzker again says no to Johnson's head tax as the Mayor pitches it on the West Side. Where the Council's votes stand

The governor said the $25-a-month tax per worker sends employers a signal not to hire. Johnson's office says state law limits what else the City can tax. Last December, 29 alderpersons voted for a budget without it.

By Chicago PoliticsUpdated

Gov. JB Pritzker said Thursday that he still opposes Mayor Brandon Johnson's proposed head tax on Chicago's largest employers. "I do not think that is a great way to provide revenue for the city," he said after an unrelated news conference in West Englewood, adding that the tax "sends a signal" to employers, the Chicago Tribune reported. He told The Center Square it is "the most direct signal to employers: don't hire more people."

The same day, Johnson defended the tax at a "Fair Share" budget town hall on the West Side. He said his plan doesn't raise property taxes and that he wants businesses to "pay their fair share because it's good for everyone," ABC7 Chicago reported.

Why it matters: the governor doesn't vote on the City budget, but the Council does, and the head tax is the piece of Johnson's $17.6 billion plan that a majority of alderpersons has already rejected once. If it comes out, the money it would raise has to be replaced or cut.

The Mayor's response

Johnson spokesperson Griffin Krueger said the plan's tax credit "is designed to incentivize job growth and economic development in socioeconomically disadvantaged communities," and that "state law severely limits the City's ability to levy increased taxes on corporations," according to the Tribune. He said the Mayor appreciates the governor's support for a statewide millionaires' tax. A question on that idea is on Tuesday's ballot, as we explain here.

What our records add

What the tax is. The head tax is written into the 2027 Revenue Ordinance (O2026-0029643) as the "Chicago Employers' Expense Tax": $25 a month for each full-time worker at employers with 125 or more, starting Jan. 1, 2027, with a full credit for workers based mostly in designated disadvantaged areas. The Mayor's office expects about $101 million from it, CBS Chicago reported. Our Oct. 23 story has the details.

Last year's vote. On Dec. 19, 2025, the Council passed an alternative 2026 revenue ordinance that left out last year's version of the tax, 29 to 19.

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

Voted for the plan without the head tax (29): Hopkins (2), Dowell (3), Yancy (5), Mitchell (7), Harris (8), Beale (9), Chico (10), Lee (11), Quinn (13), Lopez (15), Curtis (18), O'Shea (19), Mosley (21), Tabares (23), Scott (24), Cruz (30), Cardona (31), Waguespack (32), Conway (34), Villegas (36), Mitts (37), Sposato (38), Nugent (39), Napolitano (41), Reilly (42), Knudsen (43), Lawson (44), Gardiner (45), Silverstein (50).

Voted no (19): La Spata (1), Robinson (4), Hall (6), Ramirez (12), Gutiérrez (14), Moore (17), Taylor (20), Rodriguez (22), Sigcho-López (25), Fuentes (26), Burnett (27), Ervin (28), Taliaferro (29), Rodríguez Sánchez (33), Quezada (35), Clay (46), Martin (47), Manaa-Hoppenworth (48), Hadden (49).

This year, 29 alderpersons signed a September letter saying they would not support a head tax, CBS reported. Passing a budget takes 26 votes, or 25 plus the Mayor's tie-breaking vote, the Tribune noted.

Another piece in play Monday. At a special meeting Monday, the Council takes up an ordinance that would send the $75 million parking meter payment to the pension funds by Dec. 31 instead of counting it toward the 2027 plan. Together with the head tax, that's roughly $176 million of the Mayor's plan that depends on votes he hasn't secured. What the ordinance now says.

What's next

  • Mon., Nov. 2, 10 a.m.: the special Council meeting on the meter money.
  • Wed., Nov. 4: budget hearings resume after the election, on the Budget Committee's schedule.
  • Dec. 8, 11:30 a.m.: the Council's formal public hearing on the budget (R2026-0029546).
  • Dec. 31: the deadline to pass a 2027 budget.