The alternative budget proposal championed by a group of Chicago aldermen won a crucial first full City Council vote on Friday, even as Mayor Brandon Johnson made a last-ditch effort to reintroduce the controversial corporate head tax in his 2026 plan.

The council voted 29-19 to approve the revenue package that would fund the spending plan crafted by the mayor's opponents, and which would not include the per-employee tax on large firms Johnson has sought.

That leaves the mayor's rivals shy of the 34 votes needed to override a possible veto. But the mayor has repeatedly refused to give a straightforward answer when asked if he would veto the alternative budget plan, which is set for a final vote on Saturday when the council will take up ordinances spelling out how the city will spend the funds within the budget.

"This is a good time to stop playing the games, and let's get serious about balancing the budget that a clear majority of the City Council supports," said Ald. Brendan Reilly (42nd), who is running for Cook County Board president.

What is in the budget plan backed by the mayor's critics?

In lieu of the controversial corporate head tax backed by the mayor, his opponents' budget would rely on an increase in the city's plastic bag tax; overhauling the tax on off-premise liquor sales; legalizing video gambling terminals in Chicago; and opening up new advertising opportunities, such as naming rights for bridge houses along the Chicago River, selling banners on light poles, and placing ads on city vehicles.

It also proposes bringing in nearly $90 million from selling some debt owed to the city for unpaid fines and fees, a proposal the mayor has called "immoral."

The mayor's budget team has argued the alternative budget plan would leave a $163 million shortfall that would have to be filled midyear with spending cuts, layoffs, or new taxes.

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.

Aldermen also estimated $6.8 million in new revenue in 2026 from legalizing video gambling, but the mayor's budget team claimed that move would result in a loss of $3 million next year, because it would force the city to lose out on $4 million payment from Bally's casino, and only a small fraction of businesses who apply for a video gaming license would actually get approved in 2026.

In proposing to increase the city's plastic bag tax from 10 cents to 15 cents per bag, aldermen estimated $8.7 million in new revenue, while the mayor's budget team claimed that move would generate only $5.2 million, due to a likely drop in shoppers using plastic bags.

The alternative budget estimated $6 million in new revenue from a new 1.5 tax on off-premise liquor sales, replacing the current volume-based tax, with different rates for beer, wine, and spirits. However, the mayor's budget team estimated that move would actually result in a $4.2 million loss for the city.

The biggest sticking point for the mayor's budget team was aldermen's proposal to bring in $89.6 million from selling some debt owed to the city for unpaid fines and fees. Johnson's aides said the plan is simply not feasible and wouldn't generate actual money from the city, claiming there is no realistic way to find investors to buy debt for things like unpaid parking tickets when the city has no authority to seize vehicles or place liens on property for such debt.

The mayor's team also cast doubt on the aldermen's plan to bring in an estimated $6 million by allowing "augmented reality advertising" on city property in games or apps like "Pokemon Go." Johnson's aides said, because no other cities have allowed such advertising, it would require lengthy research for the city to set up a legal framework for such a proposal, making it virtually impossible for the city to make any money from such a venture next year.

Johnson argued the alternative budget prioritizes big corporations over residents — a sentiment echoed by protestors in City Hall Friday morning.

"There is no evidence that a corporate head tax causes businesses to leave cities, and do you really believe billion-dollar corporations would leave the greatest city in the world nine years running for a  0.002% tax? Be for real," said community organizer Crislin Christian-Frazier.

What happens next in the budget battle?

While aldermen plan to press forward with a final vote on the alternative budget on Saturday, the mayor suggested negotiations over the budget will continue.

"This process is not over just yet," he said.

Johnson also submitted a new 11th hour "compromise plan," which would restore the head tax, make a full advanced pension payment the mayor originally proposed cutting in half, and allow for slot machines at Midway International Airport while scrapping his opponents plan to legalize video gambling machines at thousands of Chicago businesses.

Ald. Pat Dowell (3rd), who chairs the City Council Finance Committee, did not expect much to come of Johnson's offered compromise, which was shuttled to the Rules Committee, delaying any consideration of his attempted compromise.

"It means that, unless all 50 members or a majority of the Rules Committee votes to bring that out of Rules, it is dead," Dowell said.

Further complicating the mayor's last-ditch attempt at a compromise, the Rules Committee is chaired by Ald. Michelle Harris (8th), who is part of the coalition backing the alternative budget plan.

Still, Johnson encouraged council members to consider it.

A mayoral veto appears to be one of Johnson's last remaining options to stop the alternative budget from going into effect.

"I haven't made that decision yet, I haven't made that decision yet," he said.

The last time a Chicago mayor vetoed a budget approved by the City Council was in 1984, amid the infamous "Council Wars" under Mayor Harold Washington. In that case, the mayor and his opponents reached a compromise to pass a budget just hours before the year-end deadline after Washington's rivals couldn't override his veto.

Johnson said he would like to have a budget passed by Christmas. The city has until Dec. 30 to approve a budget for 2026, or Chicago would face an unprecedented city government shutdown.