Saginaw mayor Brenda F. Moore speaks to the guests during the Dripping in Elegance Adult Prom at the Dow Event Center in Saginaw on Friday, June 2, 2023. Heritage 2020 graduate Lauren “Lolo” Reed created the event to be held three years after COVID-19 squashed the scheduled high school prom. (Kaytie Boomer | MLive.com) Kaytie Boomer | MLive.com

Mayor Brandon Johnson has said he's willing to negotiate with the City Council on his proposed budget, but wouldn't commit to any specific alternatives.

The Chicago City Council on Thursday rejected Mayor Brandon Johnson’s plan to raise property taxes by $300 million that would have helped close a budget gap of nearly $1 billion for next year.

The city’s 50 alders on Thursday sent Mayor Brandon Johnson a strong message, unanimously rejecting a $300 million property tax hike he unveiled in his $17.3 billion city budget proposal last month.

In a special meeting, Chicago's City Council voted unanimously to remove the mayor's proposed $300 million property tax increase from the 2025 budget plan. Why it matters: The removal of the tax hike will force Mayor Brandon Johnson to make hard decisions on other ways to generate more revenue or where to make cuts to city services.

Mayor Brandon Johnson has said he's willing to negotiate with the City Council on his proposed budget, but wouldn't commit to any specific alternatives. Sabrina Franza reports.

Several aldermen have been critical of what they call Mayor Brandon Johnson's failure to collaborate on the budget. Charlie De Mar reports.