This edition of The Policy Shop is by policy advisor Paul Vallas. Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson’s promises are colliding with his problems, which will be on full display today when he delivers his budget address to the City Council. There’s a $538 million projected deficit. There are over 17,000 migrants expected to cost the city...
Chicago levies a 9% tax on leased computer software, which the city now claims includes artificial intelligence such as ChatGPT.
Brandon Johnson’s ‘Bring Chicago Home’ transaction tax is primarily a tax on the already overburdened and depressed commercial property owners.
Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson is continuing the mayoral tradition of giving the City Council and public too little time and too little information before a deficit city budget is passed. There’s little chance that will change soon, but it could be fixed.
Despite budget experts predicting a $538 million shortfall next year between Chicago’s spending and revenues, only two city leaders opted to forgo automatic pay raises provided to top public servants in September. The mayor and 48 aldermen took theirs.
An underused airport near Belleville, Illinois, has required local taxpayers to chip in $134.4 million since 2002 to keep it operating.
The new report published by Headset found Illinoisans are paying 89% more for the average cannabis item than the rest of the nation. Researchers attribute the high prices to stifled competition.
Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson has reportedly compromised on his proposed mansion tax in favor of a graduated real estate tax. What needs to happen before he can start collecting the extra taxes?
Illinoisans pay the nation’s second-highest gas taxes behind California thanks to Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s automatic gas tax hikes. Illinois motorists faced two hikes in 2023.
While most Cook County residents have seen property taxes rise, the suburbs saw the biggest hikes during the past 20 years. Chicago homeowners and business owners are feeling less tax pain than their suburban peers.
Chicago’s residential property taxes between 2020 and 2021 were pretty volatile. Don’t be happy about a big drop, though, because it might mean your home isn’t worth as much.
Iowa, Missouri, Ohio and Tennessee are all having back-to-school sales tax holidays. Not Illinois, where state leaders saw the need during the 2022 election.
Illinois dispensaries sold $136 million in marijuana during June, the highest of the year and third-best month ever for cannabis sales.
The typical concertgoer will pay an extra $35 for their general admission ticket to Lollapalooza, thanks to the city’s amusment tax. A platinum pass will cost visitors more than the price of a standard ticket in taxes alone.