Members of the Cook County Board of Commissioners showed a rebellious side last week that should be on display more often.
In a stunning 12-3 vote May 5, the board repealed the 1 percentage point hike in the county’s sales tax approved last year. Several Democratic board members who voted for the sales tax hike last year voted last week to repeal it, citing substantial opposition from residents.
But Board President Todd Stroger would have none of that. He vetoed the measure May 11, warning that lowering the sales tax could result in a $300 million loss.
Of the 17 board members, 14 would have to vote to repeal the tax increase to override Stroger’s veto — and that’s not likely. Two members absent from last week’s meeting, Chicago Democrats Earleen Collins and Deborah Sims, are strong supporters of Stroger.
A few weeks ago, Stroger called on the County Board to reduce the sales tax from 1.75 cents on the dollar to 1.5 cents on the dollar. He said new revenue from the federal stimulus package would offset the reduction.
But repealing the whole sales tax increase would have required county departments to reduce their expenses by 20 percent, Stroger said. And let’s be honest, cutting their budgets is something bureaucrats don’t like doing.
While Stroger chose to ignore constituents, most board members opted to listen to their concerns. It may not get us a repeal of the tax increase, but it’s a start.
