Chicago Voters Face a Slate of Advisory Referendums November 3, From ShotSpotter to a County Millionaire Tax
CHICAGO, Ill. — Chicago voters will weigh in on a slate of advisory referendum questions on November 3, according to information published October 31. All are non-binding, intended to guide the City Council and state lawmakers.
City voters face a framework of six advisory questions. The three citywide questions ask whether to restart the ShotSpotter gunshot-detection system, whether to pursue festival-grounds arrangements, and whether the city should seek compensation from the federal government over the "Midway Blitz" immigration enforcement operation — which one study says cost Chicago-area businesses about $1.2 billion in lost revenue.
A separate Cook County advisory question proposes a millionaire tax: a 3 percent income-tax surcharge on high earners, with half the revenue going to property-tax relief and half to public education funding. Because Illinois has a flat income tax, the vote is seen as a test of appetite for future tax reform.
The remaining questions touch on Chicago Public Schools matters and a mental-health program in one ward. The ShotSpotter question follows Mayor Brandon Johnson's 2024 decision to end the city's contract with the company; the City Council approved the advisory vote on restoring the technology in the summer of 2026. The results will not change any law directly, but they will signal voter priorities on public safety, property taxes and school funding.
Source: GSM · USA (original Chinese edition)
Photo: 图：Chicago City Hall, Chicago, Illinois (9179430367)。Ken Lund from Reno, Nevada, USA 摄，CC BY-SA 2.0，经 Wikimedia Commons。 / Photo: Chicago City Hall, Chicago, Illinois (9179430367). By Ken Lund from Reno, Nevada, USA, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
