CHICAGO (WLS) — The Chicago City Council will hold a special meeting next week and could vote on Mayor Brandon Johnson’s proposed property tax increase.

The mayor said the tax increase is necessary to cover a nearly $1 billion budget deficit.

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But 31 councilors have called that special meeting to try to derail the proposal and draw up a new budget before the end of the year.

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Councilman Ray López is one of them.

“If two-thirds of the City Council says no to a property tax increase, there is no excuse for us to do this entire two-week exercise through December, only to have to restart it again simply because we couldn’t pass the budget,” he said. Lopez.

Budget hearings are underway at City Hall and Council members are in the process of examining the mayor’s proposed spending plans for various city departments.

But the overall concern is Johnson’s call to raise property taxes.

“I stand with my community. My community has reached out to me via email and calls, asking me not to support a $300 million property tax increase,” District 30 Councilman Rut Cruz said.

Councilwoman Emma Mitts met with the mayor on Thursday.

“I think it really shook them. I can tell you that. I saw some shaking even before I left City Hall yesterday when the letter was sent,” Mitts said.

Mitts said many of his residents are still recovering from flooding two years ago and can’t afford a tax increase.

He said the mayor expressed a willingness to scale back his original plan.

“I’m guessing it wasn’t going to be that number, probably not $300 million, maybe we’re looking at ways to reduce that,” Mitts said.

But the mayor had not shared that news with the chairman of his Budget Committee.

“The council has the ability to amend that. However, we have to amend both sides. We simply cannot amend, reduce revenue and not reduce expenses, because that puts us in an unbalanced situation,” Ward 28 said Jason said. Ervin.

Council members are on the brink of a revolt over rising property taxes.

“And now we’re the ones who are organized to find out where we get their money from? It’s $55 million in rainy day funds. It’s a hurricane right now. And so, I mean, we have a tsunami going on,” said Ald del District 20. said Jeanette Taylor.

“And I think we need to do more to look at efficiencies and cuts before we go back to the taxpayers,” Ward 19 Councilman Matt O’Shea said.

The meeting scheduled for Wednesday may not resolve the property tax impasse, but it has warned the mayor’s office that more than half of council members are demanding budget changes.