The overwhelming vote was largely symbolic. Negotiations to reduce or eliminate the property tax hike and replace it with a mix of new revenue and reprogrammed federal pandemic relief funds began last weekend.

Johnson has taken a proposed $300 million property tax hike off the table to work with council members on other ways to fill the budget. He met with some alders prior to today’s budget committee meeting. The alders had planned to vote down the property tax hike, but it appears they are now collaborating.

The vote during a special meeting of the City Council was taken without any debate and comes two days after Mayor Brandon Johnson publicly backed away from the plan amid strong initial pushback, calling it just the start of a collaborative process.

The increase would be Chicago's largest in a decade, but alderpersons hope to force the mayor back to the bargaining table to find other revenue sources, budget cuts, or both.

Mayor Brandon Johnson late last month proposed a $300 million property tax hike in an effort to close a nearly $1B budget gap.

The 29 council members who asked for the meeting are critical of Mayor Brandon Johnson’s plan to close a gaping budget hole next year in part by raising property taxes.

Dozens of Chicago alderpeople are expected to attend a special city council meeting on Thursday. They're expected to vote down Mayor Brandon Johnson's $300 million property tax hike proposal. Mayor Brandon Johnson wouldn't commit on Tuesday when asked if he would support possible alternatives to his proposal to raise property taxes to close a nearly $1 billion budget gap for 2025.

The City Council will take a vote Thursday on Mayor Brandon Johnson's proposed $300 million property tax hike, announced when he unveiled his $17.3 billion city budget for 2025 last month. That means the mayor could make it official that he's essentially giving up on his proposed property tax hike for city residents,