At yesterday's Chicago City Council meeting, Mayor Rahm Emanuel introduced an ordinance that would cut the head tax for businesses in half, from $4 per employee to $2 per employee. The move quickens the pace of a campaign promise made by Emanuel to reduce the tax by $1 each year until it disappeared. The decision to pick up the pace has much to do with the addition of new jobs to the area by Ford.

“This was a significant piece of helping us secure the 1,200 jobs at the Ford plant and what they’re gonna add also to the stamping plant across the street,” said Emanuel, according to the Sun-Times, adding that there will be 700 positions created at that location. 

The head tax has been a long-time issue for the business community and is currently charged to companies with more than 50 employees. It was installed by Mayor Richard J. Daley back in 1974 as a means to avoid a city income tax. If passed, Emanuel's ordinance would create at $23 million revenue shortfall to the city's budget. The mayor has not yet shared plans on how to fill that gap.