Goofball Johnson vows not to pump brakes on his agenda after apparent mansion tax failure

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.

“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.

“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.

https://www.nbcchicago.com/news/local/johnson-vows-not-to-pump-brakes-on-
his-agenda-after-apparent-mansion-tax-failure/3388620/