Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot will raffle gas and mass transit cards instead of cutting her new 3-cent gas tax. The shift follows aldermen questioning how much a gas tax cut would cost the city.

Mayor Lori Lightfoot is considering a repeal of Chicago’s 8-cent-per-gallon gas tax to alleviate record-breaking prices. State gas taxes doubled in 2019 and state leaders are also considering a repeal.

City property taxes rose 30% faster than in suburban Cook County from 2000 to 2019. Record inflation in 2022 will bring increases statewide in 2023.

Illinois has the second-highest gas taxes in the nation, but a new bill would let cities add a local gas tax on top of the state and federal taxes and fees. Illinois doubled its gasoline tax in 2019, part of $5.2 billion in new taxpayer costs since Gov. J.B. Pritzker took office.