A Cook County judge rejected a Chicago ballot measure that would have raised a one-time tax on luxury properties to fund homeless services after objections from business and real estate groups.
Friday's ruling by Judge Kathleen Burke came as early voting has already begun for Illinois' March 19 primary. The tax measure appears on the ballot.
The measure would have increased what is called the real estate transfer tax on properties valued at more than $1 million, but would have reduced it on properties below that amount.
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Supporters, including first-term Mayor Brandon Johnson, estimated it would have brought in about $100 million a year, which would be used to fund housing and other services, including mental health care. Cities such as Los Angeles and Santa Fe, New Mexico, have adopted similar tax increases.
Chicago skyline at dusk. (iStock)
Maxica Williams, board president of the Chicago Coalition for the Homeless, issued a statement expressing disappointment in the ruling.
“We are outraged that this small minority of wealthy real estate interests would rather spend thousands of dollars in legal fees to preserve a brutally unfair status quo than pay their fair share in taxes,” Williams said.
Approximately 68,000 people are homeless in Chicago.
Business groups, including the International Association of Building Owners and Managers, argued that the tax would disproportionately affect commercial real estate as downtown Chicago is still struggling to recover from the coronavirus pandemic.
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Attorneys for Bring Home Chicago, which defended the ballot measure, have said they would appeal any decision that thwarts their efforts to get the question on the ballot.
