Mayor Brandon Johnson Doubles Down on Taxing Big Companies, Sparking Debate
Bridgette Adu-Wadier | November 6, 2025, 7:20 pm
Mayor Brandon Johnson is calling for more taxes on big companies in his 2026 budget proposal.
Under the mayor’s plan, businesses in Chicago with more than 100 employees would have to pay $21 for each employee every month.
Johnson said the extra charge would generate $100 million to fund local services like violence prevention. But it’s sparking heated debate as critics say the tax would hurt the local economy.
Johnson defended the plan in a news conference Thursday, saying companies should invest more in the city. He told reporters that the tax would only impact 3% of the city’s largest corporations.
Ishan Daya, co-director at the Institute for Public Good, a nonpartisan advocacy and policy group, said big companies should pay their fair share.
“Do we either tax corporations or tax working people in a moment where their health insurance plans are increasing or do we cut the services that Chicagoans rely on every day?” Daya said.
But getting enough support in the Chicago City Council to pass the tax could be an uphill battle. It’s been panned by several alderpeople and opponents who call the idea a “job killer.”
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https://news.wttw.com/2025/11/06/mayor-brandon-johnson-doubles-down-taxing-big-companies-sparking-debate
