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Mayor Brandon Johnson on Thursday held a news conference at which he unveiled a new electronic tool for aldermen to submit their ideas for “efficiencies” addressing Chicago’s $1.2 billion budget deficit for next year.

While the mayor spent time on that little stunt, designed to put those aldermen opposed to the mayor’s corporate tax head in an uncomfortable political corner, elsewhere a small group of aldermen interested more in solutions than ideological grandstanding were preparing their own alternative budget.

Led by Ald. Pat Dowell, 3rd, the Finance Committee chair who earlier this week was among 25 on the panel who voted against the mayor’s revenue package, these pragmatists are expected to unveil it as early as Monday.

The Dowell-led g

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