One big challenge facing Chicago Mayor-elect Brandon Johnson is how to pay for new public spending he has promised.
Johnson’s proposed $800 million in new taxes, including a new real estate transfer tax and a new tax on aviation fuel at the airports, need state or federal approval and can't be done by City Hall alone.
Also on Johnson’s list of proposed tax increases is to make Chicago’s hotel-motel tax the highest in America. Before the pandemic, the local hospitality and tourism industry was the city's number one private employer, with many minorities among the work force. Millions of pre-pandemic tourists have not returned, nor have thousands of pre-pandemic jobs, a big reason Johnson’s proposed tax increase on hotels could face a fight in the city council.
Meanwhile, Illinois Governor JB Pritzker says he looks forward to working with Johnson, who he says he will bring a "new vibrancy to the city."The win in Tuesday night's runoff election is a major victory for the Democratic Party’s progressive wing, as the heavily blue city grapples with high crime and financial challenges.Those words came on Wednesday during an emotional news conference following the fire department's second loss of a firefighter in as many days.
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