The contentious Chicago budget battle could finally end on Thursday.

Chicago alders may move toward a full City Council vote on an alternative to Mayor Brandon Johnson's budget plan, with a shutdown looming if no deal is reached by the end of this month.

The full City Council began a meeting at 10 a.m. Thursday. Public comment was under way inside Council Chambers as of just before 11 a.m. as pressure built over the budget.

Late on Wednesday night, the City Council Budget Committee voted to send the alternative budget to the full City Council—despite warnings from the mayor and his top officials.

The Budget Committee vote on Wednesday came one day after the City Council Finance Committee voted the advanced the alternative budget plan.

The alternative plan is supported by about two dozen alders. The mayor's team argues the plan is short by $163 million, which rasies concerns about a midyear layoff.

Ald. Jessie Fuentes (26th) expressed those concerns Thursday morning.

"I'm a no on this alternate budget," Fuentes said. "I'm a no because I have a responsibility to defend the people that I represent. I have a responsibility to make sure that we're talking about budgets, that I'm not guaranteeing a credit downgrade, that I'm not guaranteeing a larger deficit the following year, and I'm not guaranteeing midyear layoffs."

Opposing alders said their numbers add up, and pointed to new revenue streams instead of taxes. Ald. Samantha Nugent (39th) spoke before going inside Council Chambers, saying the alternative budget is the most financially responsible option.              

"Our focus continues to be doing all we can to avoid a government shutdown and a credit downgrade, and that includes proceeding with the only budget that has passed out of committee for FY26," Nugent said. "The process of getting here did not have to be this hard."

The alternative spending plan would rely on an increase in the city's plastic bag tax to 15 cents; 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.

The alternative budget also would maintain funding levels for youth jobs that the mayor originally proposed, and would reduce the city's legal costs by relying more on city lawyers rather than private firms.

Their plan eliminated a garbage collection fee increase the mayor had vowed to veto, while also eliminating his proposal to revive the city's corporate head tax.

"If everything comes in as the alders expect and say it should, we should achieve a balanced budget," said David Griesing, president and chief executive officer of the Better Government Association. "Theres still a lot of work to do."

Mayor Johnson's latest proposal for the head tax would charge businesses with 500 or more employees $33 per employee per month, but the mayor's opponents said any form of a head tax – which was eliminated in 2014 – is a no-go.

The mayor is expected to preside over the City Council meeting on Thursday, with a news conference to follow.

Opposing aldermen say they want a deal done by Christmas. But as of Thursday, they did not have enough votes to override a mayoral veto.