Cook County Board Votes To Repeal Sales Tax Increase, Stroger To Veto

CHICAGO (AP) - The Cook County Board has voted 12-3 to repeal a 1 percent sales tax enacted last year, but the move could be short-lived.

Cook County Board President Todd Stroger (STROH'-jer) vowed Tuesday to veto the repeal measure.

It would take 14 of the 17 county board members to override a veto.

The tax repeal would take effect Jan. 1 and would make the county's portion of the sales tax three-quarters of a penny again.

In Chicago, the county tax, plus city and state taxes mean consumers pay a total tax of 10.25 percent - the highest of any major city in the country.

Stroger says repealing the entire tax would hurt county services, including health care and public safety.

-ASSOCIATED PRESS

Comments

[ebroadcast]

Why is Stroger in the position that he's in? Oh yah, his dad .. forgot

[joewalters]

His dad was a good guy..... the son sucks.

[VOTER]

Agree.

[ChiGuy]

John Stroger is spinning in his grave because of his son.

[ChiGuy]

To those that are inclined to celebrate this development........Not so fast, folks.

Stroger will veto this, and the likelihood of that veto being overturned are slim.

An archaic law from the late 1800s in the Cook County constitution requires a four-fifths majority to override a veto, and I'm not so sure they'll be able to muster the requisite votes.

[Chicago48]

If people in Cook County don't like the tax and cannot live w/ the tax, they should go shopping in another county, or another city. I shop the internet -- no taxes -- and other counties and cities -- lower taxes.

[Cogs]

This was a stunt by the commissioners to give themselves cover when the voters revolt against this corrupt and useless government entity. How many of them personally benefit from their positions?

[mjb5406]

Stroger is, by any measure, the most worthless sack of d0g$h1t that has even been in Chicago politics. He's too stupid to resign because of the scandal involving his cousin (who I still think he's frakking on the side, and he has no clue how to to represent the citizens of the county. All he cares about is bimself.

[rwext]

and those are his positives

[AnotherMcIntosh]

"All he cares about is bimself"

Doesn't he take care of his family?

[ekoorb]

and friends, and friends' family, and busboys who play basketball. I hope a serious analysis of County employees is part of the upcoming campaign. I will make the post office look diversified.