Rockford Sun

State Representative Joe Sosnowski expressed his views on Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson's decision not to increase taxes in a Facebook post dated November 14. He said, "Thank goodness Chicago Mayor Johnson came to his senses - Illinois families are making it clear that the government needs to work for them."

"Thank goodness Chicago Mayor Johnson came to his senses - Illinois families are making it clear that the government needs to work for them and help the people of Illinois," said Sosnowski, according to Facebook. "We need less spending and less taxes!"

According to Sosnowski's Facebook post, he shared a link to a Chicago Tribune article reporting that Mayor Johnson had decided against implementing a $300 million property tax hike. The article noted that on November 12, Johnson said he wasn’t fully committed to the tax increase and proposed it initially to engage aldermen. "I’ll say it like this. So as a public school teacher, sometimes we do things to get people’s attention. And so now that we have the attention of everyone, I’ve said from the very beginning, this is a proposal. I’m a collaborative mayor. For the first time in the history of Chicago you’re actually seeing that type of collaborative approach," Johnson was quoted as saying in the article.

Screenshot of State Rep. Joe Sosnowski's Nov. 14 Facebook post | State Representative Joe Sosnowski's Facebook page

A smaller property tax increase remains possible, according to senior adviser Jason Lee.

On October 30, Mayor Johnson unveiled the budget for the 2025 Fiscal Year. The announcement highlighted a projected $986 million budget deficit faced by the city. In addition to strategic cuts and efficiencies, including reductions of under 700 vacant positions, balancing the budget calculations included a proposed $300 million property tax increase. Estimates were based on 2023 property assessments and could change with finalized 2024 assessments. The news release indicated that property owners might see an estimated 4% increase on their property tax bill.

Sosnowski has been representing Illinois since his election to the Illinois General Assembly in 2010 and currently represents the 69th District. His political career began with service on the DeKalb City Council before moving to Rockford, where he served as First Ward Alderman from 2005-2010. He is an alumnus of Northern Illinois University, according to his official biography.