Chicago Sales Tax Hits Record-High 10.25 Percent

A drink at the bar, a fast-food meal and back-to-school shopping are among those things about to get a bit more expensive in Cook County.

Early Saturday, Cook County Board President Todd Stroger struck a deal with board members, who approved a 1 percent increase in the sales tax - driving Chicago's overall sales tax to double digits at 10.25 percent, easily among the highest of any big city.

And it will be enacted just in time for the Christmas shopping season.

"We got where we needed to be, and that's a great victory for the five and a half million people who live and work in Cook County," Stroger stated in a release early Saturday. "By working together, my administration and the board of commissioners have achieved a common goal today - to ensure that the millions of County residents who rely on us for vital services can continue to count on us to meet those critical needs."

Keep Reading

-- OR --

Read about how the Cook County Board is considering hiking up the parking tax as well.

Comments

[BigLib]

12:09 AM on 03/05/2008

Wait 'll General Baracky and the Obamita climb on to the balcony of the Casa Rosada.

[themodernleader]

11:18 PM on 03/04/2008

With melancholy and regret, I can report that Cook County is no longer Democrat or a democracy. It has become a dynasty. Durng last Spring's campaign Cook County John Stroger was struck down with a stroke. As in olden European monarchies a blackout come over his condition and the operation of his Office. Finally, in July a startling announcement that Chairman Stroger was unable to fulfill his duties and had turned over his duties to the most qualified person in Cook County, Todd Stroger--His son. Todd Stroger was heretofore little known. He proceeded to continue the campaign and beat a token Republican candidate.
After winning election Chairman Todd Stroger took on the trappings of monarchy including refusing to ride the same elevator as the common masses, surrounding himself with bodyguards and sycophants, providing hinself with all the amenities of royalty. In his conduct of affairs, it was always his way or no way. He finally rammed through an onerous regressive sales tax to extend his army of patronage workers to assure his re-election. In the meantime the people of the County are struggling to keep ahead of inflation, a quarter percent sales tax for regional transportation and outrageous property taxes to pay for union controlled firemen, policemen, and teachers. The benefits of public servants are about 40 percent of the salaries.
When the pubic bureaucracies of our Country join hands with the emerging concentrated wealth, dynasty and aristocracy will become one. Our pretensions of self rule will be all but erased forever.

[quadman]

04:56 PM on 03/05/2008

Power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely.

[zigzag1]

10:25 PM on 03/04/2008

If you think 10.25% is bad, get ready for the "Fair Tax" from the regressives. Add 23% sales (oops I mean fair) tax. So those of you who spend everything you earn can pay that tax on every dollar you earn while the uber rich who actually spend a small portion of their income pay tax on only that amount. Sounds fair to me Huckabee et al.

[whizzobutter]

08:01 PM on 03/04/2008

The Chicago mess has nothing to do with Dem politics. It's the worthless, unqualified son of Stroger, who himself was a patronage king, getting voted into dad's old job to be a placeholder, and keeping up the same cronyism. Little Todd came into office pledging to pare down the bloated Cook County budget and hack jobs, and instead he added a couple of thousand jobs, giving many to cronies and the wives and friends and children of cronies. He had no business getting the job in the first place, and has no business keeping it. He's completely ignored his promise to cut wasteful spending. He needs to go. The idiot IL gov, and the idiot CHicago mayor, need to speak up, instead of supporting this fool.

[ceasenake]

06:23 PM on 03/04/2008

Isn't that Obama's district?

The shape of things to come?

[Pippilangstrumpf]

06:19 PM on 03/04/2008

This makes it easy when you're at a restaurant and you're filling the tip amount in. Since tips are around 20% now, all you have to do is double the sales tax and round up. So...if you've had one or two too many drinks you won't have to hurt your brain by doing any math.
Always a silver lining!!

[hoopesaz]

03:30 PM on 03/04/2008

I'm suprised by the comments here. I thought "progressives" LOVED taxes. Perhaps "progressives" only like taxes that others have to pay...yea, that's probably it.

[gappytoofcondi]

03:54 PM on 03/04/2008

Stick it where the sun doesn't shine, pal. Fact is, they had to raise taxes because Federal subsidies have decreased. The money has to come from somewhere to pay for their budget
The F'ing neocons/conservatives have looted the treasury, enriching themselves from the war. Their fiscal irresponsibility has caused a title wave of issues that we will be digging out of for years.

[lauram]

06:38 PM on 03/04/2008

Yes, that's exactly it. Progressives feel that those making millions of dollars each year by moving money around (aka "capital gains") should be taxed at a much higher percentage - like 40 or 50 or 60%. Especially for those oh-so-over-inflated CEO salaries of $20 million or more. Why should someone making $200,000 be taxed at the same rate as someone making $2 million or someone making $20 million or someone making $200 million. They want us all in the same bracket so that bracket has to stay low. If we would have more brackets we could tax those in the upper brackets more. Aw, poor babies. Then the $20 millionaires (per year mind you) would have to pay higher taxes. Let me get out my teeny tiny violin for them.

[ceasenake]

08:01 PM on 03/05/2008

The problem with taxing the richat a high rate is that lawmakers always design loopholes for their "freinds" so that many millionaires pay no taxes even when the rate is hiked. If that doesn't work they will simply flee to a tax haven, then you will get nothing from them.

The (upper) middle class will get hurt the worst because they can't afford the defence or mobility of the truly rich.

Try to get a Democrat to define rich! You will see them tap dance all around the subject. The final answer will be something like "it depends".

[abbiehoffmansghost]

11:49 AM on 03/04/2008

Tithing to a city government. Chicago gets the first fruits.

[ohiomark]

11:04 AM on 03/04/2008

10.25%. That's outragous.

Oh yeah, I forgot, Chicago is run by Democrats. This is normal. They are doing the same thing in the Cleveland area too.

These dopey politicans keep wondering why business' and tax dollars go to neighboring counties and cities.

I know you Libs want to punish rich people for being successfull, but sales taxes screw EVERYBODY!!!!

[ErnestineBass]

11:11 AM on 03/04/2008

You must hail from southern Ohio, right, mark?

Asshat.

[ohiomark]

12:04 PM on 03/04/2008

No, northeast Ohio, but what's the difference? High taxes are high taxes, no matter where you live.

People in Cuyahoga County (Cleveland) are driving to Lake County, Lorain County, Summit County and Medina County to buy big ticket items to save money.

Libs never seem to understand that raising taxes actually hurts the economy.

[True]

01:28 PM on 03/04/2008

Don't agree with all your sentiments, but i'm so happy to be out of Cuyahoga County's tax hell. Federal tax. State tax. Local tax in the town that i worked. Local tax in the town that i lived. Sales tax. Thank god i was renting and not (directly) paying property taxes or school board taxes. The worst of it is that your tax dollars just get sucked away without improving anything. I live in Miami now, and people complain about how expensive it is, but at least we're not shoveling our money into the gaping maw of need called northeast ohio.

[JScott]

10:58 AM on 03/04/2008

SEE California IS NOT a high tax state!!!!!!

[javaman]

10:35 AM on 03/04/2008

Everytime it rains, it rains penny's from heaven...NOT!

As city bonds dry up do to the subprime mess, cities will have to raise taxes to meet the short fall. Weeeee!!! isn't keynes economics and trickle down bullshit, wonderful!!!

[mrcontinental]

10:08 AM on 03/04/2008

Wait until the sub-prime monster shows up. You ain't seen nothing yet.

[Perdurabo]

02:40 PM on 03/05/2008

Yep... this is just a taste of things to come.

[drkazmd65]

09:34 AM on 03/04/2008

Note to self,...

If I find myself flying through O'Hare sometime this Christmas season or after,...

Don't buy anything in the airport shops,...