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New mayor off to ‘very encouraging start,’ local business leader says

Related Topics: Paul Vallas

Sun-Times file

Chicagoland Chamber of Commerce president Jack Lavin still hopes to lure more workers back downtown.

One of Chicago most influential business leaders said Thursday he is “very encouraged with the start” of Mayor Brandon Johnson’s administration, but not yet willing to support business taxes to bankroll the social programs that form the cornerstone of Johnson’s anti-violence strategy.

“The Chicagoland Chamber is a pragmatic business group. We know that government, education, public safety, critical city services are not free. We know we have a pension liability of $37 billion. All of these things … require solutions.