Lincoln Poll: Chicagoans say high taxes are No. 1 issue in the city
52% of Illinoisans agree taxes are top state issue

CHICAGO (Nov. 4, 2025) – In his 2026 budget plan, Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson proposed over $500 million in new taxes including on streaming services, ride-shares, sports betting, social media and reinstating the city’s anti-growth “head tax.”

This comes as 35% of likely Chicago voters said high taxes were their biggest concern, according to the Illinois Policy Institute’s newest Lincoln Poll.

It is the first time in 2025 that Chicago voters ranked high taxes above crime as their leading issue. High taxes also outranked the economy, housing and city governance as worries.

“Chicago voters are clearly sending city leaders a message: no more tax hikes,” said Mailee Smith, vice president of policy and litigation for the Illinois Policy Institute. “When Mayor Johnson put a tax hike to the ballot last March, voters rejected it. Amid high-inflation and the soaring cost of living, city leaders should be looking for ways to cut costs and make it easier for struggling residents. Tax hikes will just enable more reckless spending. Instead of adding punitive taxes, lawmakers must prioritize pro-growth initiatives that make Chicago a destination city for new residents and businesses.”

The same tax worries are shared statewide, with 52% of Illinois voters polled identifying high taxes as the No. 1 issue facing the state. State lawmakers approved a spending plan Oct. 31 to keep Chicago-area public transit afloat by raising toll road fees and increasing the sales tax in Cook County and its collar counties by 0.25 percentage points.

The Lincoln Poll was conducted for the Illinois Policy Institute by M3 Strategies. The Chicago survey of 530 likely voters was conducted Oct. 17-20, with a margin of error of ±4.3 percentage points. The Illinois survey of 929 registered voters was conducted Oct. 8-10, with a margin of error of ±3.2 percentage points.

Toplines are available here for the Chicago voter poll.

Toplines are available here for the Illinois statewide voter poll.

To read more about the Lincoln Poll, visit illin.is/poll1025.

For bookings or interviews, contact media@illinoispolicy.org or (312) 607-4977.