Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson's office said there should be an answer by Monday as to whether the mayor will veto a budget plan passed by the City Council over the weekend.

The new budget is an alternative to the spending plan Mayor Johnson proposed. It does not include a head tax that would tax large corporations, a component for which Mayor Johnson has been pushing.

If Mayor Johnson does veto the budget plan, it would mean going back to negotiations with little time to spare. The city must pass a budget plan by the end of the calendar year — a mere 10 days from Monday — or else there will be an unprecedented city government shutdown.

After an hours-long session on Saturday, the Chicago City Council passed a budget by a vote of 30 to 18. The plan falls short of the 34 votes need to block a mayoral veto.

In lieu of the head tax, the budget passed by the City Council relies on new revenue by increasing the plastic bag tax and liquor taxes, and by adding advertising on city property.

Mayor Johnson said he agrees with 98% of what's in the plan, but that 2% deeply concerns him, and that's the main focus at this point.

The mayor's critics said their budget plan includes $46.6 million in spending cuts and other efficiencies, but the mayor's budget team estimated their proposals would save only $6 million, claiming many of their proposals already were in the mayor's budget plan, or are simply not feasible.  

The City Council Committee on Budget and Government Operations was scheduled to meet at noon Monday.

Also Monday, a group will speak out against the budget that passed. Like Mayor Johnson, the People's Response Network said it supports the corporate head tax.

The group said it is against selling the city's debt to collectors, since it will push Chicagoans into debt and out of the city.

The People's Response Network said the unpaid debt includes household city water bills and ambulance rides.