Aldermen tee off on next year’s budget filled with taxes, fees

by BRIAN NADIG

Mayor Brandon Johnson said the “ultra rich” should pay their fair share instead of the city relying on the backs of working families to pay its bills, but several Northwest Side alderpersons said new tax and fee hikes approved as part of the 2025 budget will impact working families the most.

“It’s absolutely going to affect the working class. Unfortunately it’s going to be the working class that pays most of these taxes and fees,” said Alderman James Gardiner (45th), who voted against the 2025 budget.

The City Council at its Dec. 16 meeting voted 27 to 23 to approve the $17.1 billion budget, reportedly up about $6 billion from 2019.

Johnson initially proposed a $300 million property tax hike to help balance the budget, but the council unanimously voted that down and rejected subsequent $150 and $68.5 million tax hike proposals. Instead, the city plans to have more speed cameras and increase parking, ride sharing, bag and streaming subscription taxes.

“It affects everyone,” said Alderman Anthony Napolitano (41st), who opposed the budget. “Our (residential parking) stickers are going up.”

Napolitano said the mayor was not willing to consider additional spending cuts.

“We sat down and gave them our input … with zero response,” Napolitano said. “They’re just cutting … unfilled positions in the mayor’s office.”

“We could have (more) made cuts … non-union positions,” Napolitano said. The budget includes a new expenditure of about $400,000 for the vice mayor’s office which previously was unfunded — an expense added to the budget so that an administration ally apparently could keep his extra staffers, according to Napolitano.

At the Dec. 16 council meeting, Gardiner blasted the mayor. “I’m willing to work with you, (but) I represent 55,000 people in the 45th Ward, (and) I can’t even get a meeting with you.”

After the meeting, Gardiner added, “he’s been difficult to work with … to put it mildly.”

Gardiner said that the city needed to make cuts “like any successful business does” and that the city will be looking at a $1 billion deficit or more for the 2026 budget.

The property tax debate will resurface next year and the options for the city will be worse unless spending is cut, Gardiner said. The mayor said that the approved 2025 budget includes no layoffs and furloughs but does include more funding for youth jobs.

Gardiner said that he fears a larger property tax hike proposal could be in the works for 2026 because “you know it’s not going to be in the 2027 budget” because that is an election year for the council.

Napolitano said that the property tax hike proposal for 2025 fizzled because the council’s socialist members, which include some of the mayor’s closest allies, told their constituencies that the budget deficit would be solved through a tax hike and the reaction was negative.

Gardiner said that a group of 15 alderpersons, representing a variety of races and political ideologies, came together to initially oppose the $300 million tax hike, issuing a letter against the tax plan. The group worked as a team and was able to stop the tax hike, he said.

Alderman Nicholas Sposato (38th) said that he voted for the budget because it included no property tax hike. He added that he also was glad that the mayor eliminated funding for the universal basic income program and decided against a liquor tax increase, which Sposato said negatively impacts wards like the 38th that border the suburbs.

Sposato said that he has been taking some heat on social media for voting “yes” on the budget. “You got no property tax (increase). What are you so upset with?”

Sposato said that the vote was probably his most difficult during his 14-year tenure as alderman.

Sposato wrote the following to ward residents:

“I wish there was a better and less painful way to address our current budgetary issues. If this budget did not pass, I know that the city’s bond ratings would have gone down, that various city services may have been shut down and that many city employees would not have been paid or may have lost their jobs.

“I did not want to see people laid off and lose their income and health benefits to the detriment of their families. Many of our City employees are your friends and your neighbors.”

Sposato added, “I also asked and received an increase in the number of counselors for our Summer Day Camp programs. This will allow more 38t Ward children to participate.”

Alderman Samantha Nugent (39th) wrote the following to residents, explaining her “no” vote:

“While I am grateful that this budget will not rely on a property tax increase, spending is still too high across the board, and the delay of a $40 million loan payment will likely have detrimental impacts on the city’s credit rating and ability to borrow in the future. 

“We could have balanced this budget using unspent eligible American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds and finding efficiencies — not deferring loan payments and taxing industries vital to our economy.”

Alderwoman Ruth Cruz (30th) voted for the budget and said the following:

“A key reason I was able to support this budget is the inclusion of the new Management Ordinance. This measure requires the City Council and the mayor’s office to begin exploring cost-saving measures and operational improvements immediately, rather than waiting until the final weeks before next year’s budget is debated.”

Some budget opponents unsuccessfully argued at the council meeting that a vote on the budget should be delayed so that more spending cuts could be considered. The city has a deadline of Dec. 31 to approve its annual budget in order to avoid a government shutdown.

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