CHICAGO — Springfield voted to kill the grocery tax starting in 2026. But Mayor Brandon Johnson wants to bring it right back — and make sure Chicagoans keep paying.

Facing a $1.1 billion budget shortfall, Johnson’s team is pushing to reimpose the 1% tax on groceries citywide. They’re framing it as just continuing an existing tax — but residents aren’t buying it.

“If I’m still paying it, it’s a new tax. Simple as that,” said one West Side shopper.

The city has until Oct. 1 to pass an ordinance allowing it to keep collecting the tax. But with no City Council meetings in August, Johnson’s administration is racing to push it through with limited public debate.

Budget Director Annette Guzman says the tax brings in $80 million a year, and losing it would mean painful cuts. But many say the pain has already hit the people hardest — especially with food prices still sky-high and grocery access already a challenge in underserved neighborhoods.

Johnson’s failed push for a $300 million property tax last year left him scrambling for revenue. Critics say this latest move just shifts the burden onto working families — again.

“He couldn’t raise property taxes, so now he’s taxing the food off our tables,” one alderperson said. “It’s the same play with a different name.”

The tax wouldn’t apply to food bought with SNAP benefits, but that doesn’t help the majority of residents. With inflation, housing costs, and now groceries all taking bigger bites, many are asking: when will City Hall stop balancing the budget on the backs of the people?