Willie Wilson Urges Council to Reject Johnson’s Head Tax, Warns of Threat to Chicago Jobs (Chicago, IL) — Businessman and mayoral candidate Dr. Willie Wilson is calling on the Chicago City Council to reject Mayor Brandon Johnson’s proposed corporate head tax, arguing that charging employers for each worker could discourage investment and put jobs at risk.
Wilson criticized the proposal in a statement that tied the city’s budget debate to the financial pressures facing Chicago households. With residents paying for housing, groceries and transportation, he argued, City Hall should focus on making it easier for businesses to operate and hire.
“At a time when prices for basic needs like housing, groceries and gas are out of control, Mayor Johnson’s only solution is to raise taxes even more,” Wilson said.
“When you raise taxes, you lose businesses, and when you lose businesses, people lose their jobs. It’s that simple, and it’s the wrong thing for the Mayor to do.”
Johnson’s proposed 2027 budget would impose a $25 monthly tax per employee on companies with more than 125 workers. The measure is expected to generate approximately $100 million annually as part of the mayor’s $17.6 billion spending plan.
The proposal includes exemptions tied to employees working in federally designated disadvantaged areas, including much of Chicago’s South and West sides. Johnson has argued that the provision could encourage employers to invest in neighborhoods that have struggled to attract businesses and jobs.
The mayor has defended asking large corporations to contribute more toward city services, maintaining that doing so can support residents without undermining economic growth. Council members rejected a similar head tax proposal during last year’s budget negotiations, and several have already voiced opposition to its return.
Wilson, however, contends that the additional cost would weaken the businesses Chicago depends on for employment and economic activity. His criticism places business costs and household affordability at the center of his challenge to Johnson as he campaigns for mayor.
A son of sharecroppers who went on to build successful businesses, Wilson has also become known for his philanthropy. In his statement, he urged alderpersons to intervene before the proposed tax becomes part of the city’s budget.
“This budget plan should be dead on arrival,” Wilson said, “and I’m calling on the City Council to step up again and stop Mayor Johnson from destroying our city’s economy.”
Willie Wilson Urges Council to Reject Johnson’s Head Tax, Warns of Threat to Chicago Jobs
