Chicago's budget vote delayed until Monday
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Mayor Brandon Johnson said Friday he would be "exploring ideas over the weekend" to pass his budget. Photo: Monica Eng/Axios
After Mayor Brandon Johnson postponed Friday's anticipated budget vote, the Chicago City Council has scheduled a new meeting for Monday, but some say that's still not enough time to build a consensus.
Why it matters: The canceled vote suggests Johnson still doesn't have the 26 supporters he needs to pass his $17.3 billion budget through an increasingly emboldened council.
- And it pushes the city at least three days closer to the Dec. 31 budget deadline, after which city services and Chicago's credit rating could suffer.
State of play: The last-minute cancellation meant alders were called downtown Friday to meet, but they adjourned in frustration after meeting less than an hour and not even discussing the budget.
- "I'm very disappointed. I've been pushing for a week not to have this vote today, and to get it right over the weekend or the week," Ald. Nick Sposato tells Axios. "They should have never done it this way. People should have had their chance to speak. We should have [at least] taken care of the other business."
Catch up quick: The proposal that failed to come to a vote had $243 million in new fines and taxes, including a $68.5 million property tax hike.
- But many alders, including 28 who sent a letter to Johnson last week, wanted to see more cuts — including to the mayoral staff — and a freeze on expanding his summer jobs program.
On Friday, however, Johnson said he was "holding firm on job opportunities because we know it's the best way to deliver a better, stronger, safer Chicago."
Between the lines: Most alders Axios spoke to Friday were frustrated that the process started two weeks late and has been hurt by what they see as poor collaboration, bad communication and not enough data sharing.
- "We want to make sure that we've turned over every stone before we come back to [constituents] for one penny," Ald. Nicole Lee tells Axios, noting she still doesn't believe the council will have enough data or time to review it before Monday.
The other side: Alds. Daniel La Spata and Maria Hadden said they would have voted "yes" on the budget Friday because "we've been able to reduce the requested property tax levy by 80% while preserving a lot of the services and investments that have been transforming the lives of working families in the city," La Spata tells Axios.
Yes but: Some want to shrink the tax hike further by cutting police vacancies not related to the consent decree.
- "That would give us $170 million right there," says Ald. Andre Vasquez. "If you take $70 million of that, you bring the property tax [hike] to zero."
- Johnson on Friday expressed surprise that the idea was supported by even some conservative alders and said he was considering "all ideas."
The intrigue: While most blamed the stalemate on financial issues, Hadden said, "this isn't about taxes; this is about the mayor's poor relationships with a good chunk of City Council."
- When asked Friday about those relationships, Johnson brushed off the question and called himself "the collaborator in chief," a moniker many alders scoff at these days.
What we're watching: How much each side may budge over the weekend to come to an agreement.
- Most alders Axios spoke to agree with Johnson's prediction that Monday's vote "is gonna be close."