CHICAGO CITY HALL (WBBM Newsradio) -- Chicago mayor Brandon Johnson and City Council critics of his budget appear to be as far apart as ever on how to reach agreement on a spending plan for next year, with roughly three weeks before a budget must be approved.
Much of the disagreement focuses on the mayor's controversial plan to collect $21 per person per month from every company with more than 100 workers in the city.
The mayor said his commitment to the so-called "head tax" ... which he refers to as the "Community Safety Surcharge" ... reflects what Chicagoans want.
"We're challenging corporations to put more skin in the game," the mayor told reporters on Monday, making reference to progressive victories in recent elections across the country. "In fact, it's the message that's winning across America."
He also repeated his assertion that there's no evidence that the city gained jobs when Chicago repealed its previous head tax a decade ago. However, more than a dozen aldermen disagree, citing an analysis of numbers from the federal government.
"We cannot afford a head tax in any form," said Albany Park Alderwoman Samantha Nugent (39th Ward) during an appearance with City Council allies about two hours after the mayor talked to reporters. "That is a hard stop."
Nugent and other aldermen, including Scott Waguespack from Roscoe Village, were part of a contingent of City Council members who met with the mayor's finance team for three hours over the weekend to propose alternatives to the head tax. Waguespack said all were rejected.
"We're putting the ideas out there ... we're doing the heavy lifting ... we walk into a room and we're told to go fish? That is not the way a leader works for a city," said Waguespack (32nd Ward).
Mayor Johnson brushed off suggestions that he himself should be negotiating with aldermen: "I'm not the first mayor to send their CFO and their budget director into a room to have a conversation."
The mayor suggested the aldermen's suggestions were out of balance, and challenged critics to put their suggestions up for a vote.
"If city council members want to double the garbage fees in Englewood, Roseland, in Austin, then they should put it on the board and vote on it," said the mayor.
Critics say they plan to do that.