Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle has added a new revenue source to the Cook County budget in advance of its vote Friday: a proposed tax on car and boat purchases managed through websites like Craigslist.
The county does not currently tax informal transactions, including those coordinated on online forums like Craigslist or between friends or neighbors, on purchases involving cars, boats, RVs and trailers, according to CBS Chicago.
Preckwinkle said the one percent tax on big-ticket purchases could fund a $2 million increase in contributions to dental services and primary healthcare in the suburbs through the county's independent health and hospital system, the Chicago Tribune reports.
"In today's fragile economy, there are a growing number of suburban families who are stuck in between being eligible for public health insurance programs and having medical insurance," Commissioner Timothy Schneider (R-Streamwood), said at a bipartisan budget meeting Thursday, according to the Tribune. "This effort is a positive step toward making Cook County health care dollars available to all residents of Cook County."
The one percent tax would be collected when the title is transferred at the Secretary of State's office, and Preckwinkle estimates that it would generate about $8.5 million, according to CBS. The Secretary of State's office told the station they have not been included in conversations about the tax.
A spokesperson for Preckwinkle told CBS the tax wouldn't go into effect until April to allow for time to standardize the collection system.