Chicagoans will get a small break on their grocery bills but be forced to pony up to cover a host of tax and fee hikes that a deeply divided Chicago City Council approved to fill a massive budget shortfall over the objections of Mayor Brandon Johnson.
The $16.6 billion spending plan, which takes effect Thursday, closed a $1.19 billion gap without imposing a per-employee tax on large firms to fund violence prevention and youth employment programs.
The City Council voted 29-19 on Dec. 19 to raise the necessary revenue for the city’s 2026 spending plan, and 30-18 on Dec. 20 to allow the city to spend those funds…