Prairie State Wire

Jeanne Ives, a former Illinois State Representative, drew comparisons between Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson's tax increases and Governor J.B. Pritzker's actions in an October 30 post on X. She said, "And don't forget he cheated on his own property taxes."

"Pritzker - Hold My Beer to Brandon Johnson, as he gives Rivian and Gotion $1.3 billion in subsidies and spends over $1B on illegals instead of providing property tax relief," said Ives, Founder. "And don't forget he cheated on his own property taxes."

In her post, Ives shared a link to an article from The Center Square, which focused on Chicago’s proposed property tax increases. According to the report, on October 30, Mayor Johnson presented his budget proposal for the upcoming fiscal year starting January 1. Johnson said he is working to find efficiencies and avoid mass layoffs.

Screenshot of Jeanne Ives Oct. 31 post on X | X

"That is why this budget currently includes a property tax increase of $300 million to fund and keep our commitment to fund not just our pension contributions but to fund the future of our city," said Johnson in the Center Square report. The city faces a deficit of nearly $1 billion.

Johnson unveiled the budget for the 2025 Fiscal Year with a projected $986 million budget deficit. In addition to strategic cuts and efficiencies, including reductions of under 700 vacant positions, the calculations used to balance the budget include a $300 million property tax increase. Estimates are based on 2023 property assessments, so numbers could change as the 2024 assessments are finalized. The news release indicated that property owners might see an estimated 4% increase in their property tax bill.

Illinois Policy has criticized the city’s budget, highlighting four specific failures in the proposed plan and emphasizing the property tax increases. Personnel costs are expected to rise to $4.21 billion compared to $4.18 billion spent in the fiscal year 2024; non-personnel costs increased to $6.64 billion over the previous budget’s $6.07 billion. Pension costs rose from $2.81 billion to $2.91 billion, and debt financing increased from $2.09 billion to $2.11 billion. These areas of concern include increases in personnel spending despite declining revenue; proposed property tax hikes; pension contributions that have risen by $1.6 billion since 2019; and reliance on temporary funding alongside misallocation of tax increment funds.

Ives served six years representing Illinois House District 42 and ran for governor in 2018 and for election to represent Illinois’ 6th Congressional District in 2020.