Allies of Chicago’s mayor are reeling Wednesday after the apparent defeat of the heavily promoted “Bring Chicago Home” referendum, also known as the mansion tax. But after Wednesday’s City Council meeting, Johnson pushed back on criticism. Charlie Wojciechowksi reports.
Allies of Chicago's mayor are reeling Wednesday after the apparent defeat of the heavily promoted “Bring Chicago Home” referendum, also known as the mansion tax.
Though the results have yet to be called, voters for the real estate transfer tax referendum on Chicago ballots in the 2024 Illinois primary, appear to have largely voted against it, with 54% of voters saying "no" as of Wednesday afternoon.
“This is not the result we wanted,” said 35th Ward Ald. Carlos Ramirez-Rosa, who pushed for its passage in City Council. “It is devastating for the people that have been addressing the crisis of homelessness."
The measure, which would have increased the city’s real estate transfer tax on properties valued at over $1 million and used the funds to pay for homelessness programs, now appears to be rejected by voters, a major blow to Mayor Brandon Johnson’s progressive agenda.
But after Wednesday’s City Council meeting, Johnson pushed back on that idea.
”If anyone believes that one issue that we still have to address is going to cause me to put the brakes on my agenda, they missed the City Council meeting today,” the mayor said, admitting that he wanted to do more to promote the measure.
But the mayor’s opponents said changes are needed in his approach.
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“You have to make the transition from campaigning to governing, and this administration has not made that transition yet,” said 9th Ward Ald. Anthony Beale.
Supporters of the Bring Chicago Home measure said they are going back to the drawing board searching for other sources of revenue to address a growing crisis of the unhoused. The mayor’s office estimates the city’s unhoused population at around 68,000 people.
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“We need everybody to come to the table and solutions on this,” said 49th Ward Ald. Maria Haddon.
She said she is open to using some of the city’s proposed bond money to pay for homeless solutions, but said there are limits on what that money can be used for.
But 42nd Ward Ald. Brendan Reilly said his residents have spoken when it comes to the tax measure.
”The voters saw through all the noise and understood this could have a negative impact on their bottom line,” he said.
When asked about the possibility of a property tax increase to make up for the money that wont be coming from any increase in the real estate transfer tax, the mayor said it is not something he is considering.
