Lyft Urges Chicago Riders to Ask City Hall to Reject New Tax
- Chicago racing to close a deficit and pass a budget by Dec. 31
- Proposal would extend downtown rideshare surcharge to weekends
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Lyft Inc. is asking its customers in Chicago to urge the city’s council to reject a proposed tax on rideshares in the downtown zone during the weekend, marking the latest hurdle as Mayor Brandon Johnson races to close a nearly $1 billion deficit by year-end.
A proposed ordinance seeks to raise as much as $15 million a year by slightly expanding Chicago’s downtown zone and extending a surcharge currently levied on rideshare services during the weekdays through weekends. Alderman Daniel La Spata introduced the ordinance this month as a way to reel in more revenue from recreation and tourism dollars as the City Council searches for ways to close a $982.4 million deficit.