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Cook County Budget Process
FY2011 Cook County Budget Passes with phase-out of sales tax increase
On February 26, 2011, the Cook County Board of Commissioners approved the Fiscal Year 2011 Cook County Budget. Along with the budget, the Board voted to reduce the sales tax from 1.25% to 1% on January 1, 2012 and from 1% to 0.75% on January 1, 2013.
Click here to review President Preckwinkle's Executive Recommendation. The Amendment Book can be found here, and Floor Amendments can be found here.
Click here to read Commissioner Suffredin's statement on the FY11 Budget.
FY2010 Cook County Budget Passes with reduction in sales tax
On November 19, 2009, the Cook County Board of Commissioners approved the Fiscal Year 2010 Cook County Budget. The budget includes a reduction in the sales tax, from 1.75% to 1.25%. Under state law, this reduction will take effect July 1, 2010.
Click here to review President Stroger’s Executive Recommendation. Amendments to the budget can be found here: Amendments 1 - 10, 11 - 20, 21 - 30, 31 - 40, 41 - 50, 51 - 56; and Floor Amendments can be found here: 1 - 20, 21 - 40, 41 - 65.
Commissioner Suffredin leads the way on sales tax repeal
December 1, 2009: The People of Cook County finally got sales tax relief! After four tries and a change in State law lowering the number of votes necessary to override a veto, the Cook County Board was able to override President Todd Stroger’s veto of a .50% reduction of the sales tax. The rate now for Cook County will be below 10% - a barrier that cost Cook County sales revenue and retail jobs. Thank you for your help in passing this repeal.
Regional Sales Tax Analysis
The Chaddick Institute for Metropolitan Development at DePaul University has studied the economic impact of sales tax policy. Below find their reports.
Sales tax repeal background:
County’s Sales Tax Repeal Fails (September 1, 2009)
On September 1st, Commissioner Deborah Sims voted to oppose the sales tax repeal. She changed her vote in order to support President Todd Stroger in keeping the Cook County sales tax at 1.75%. I had commitments from 13 other Commissioners, including Commissioner Sims, prior to filing the motion to override President Stroger’s veto of the ordinance reducing the sales tax. The override failed by one vote. This action by Commissioner Sims will hurt the economy of the County significantly.
Here is the roll call on the motion to override President Stroger’s veto:
Voted yes to roll back the sales tax increase (13): Commissioners Suffredin, Claypool, Collins, Daley, Gainer, Gorman, Goslin, Murphy, Peraica, Reyes, Schneider, Silvestri, and Steele.
Voted to support President Stroger’s veto(4): Commissioners Beavers, Butler, Moreno, and Sims.
This action gives greater reasons to remove President Stroger from office.
Addendum from Commissioner Suffredin (9/3/09): I have become aware of threatening messages left at Cook County Commissioner Deborah Sims’ phone. These messages relate to her vote on the repeal of part of the County’s Sales Tax.
Today some ministers suggested that my remarks in disagreeing with Commissioner Sims’ vote may have had a role in causing the threat. I reject that suggestion and I deplore any threats made against Commissioner Sims or any other elected official.
While from a governmental point of view, I disagree with her vote, I defend her right to cast her vote free from personal threats.
Suffredin announces reduction in sales tax (July 21, 2009)
Commissioner Larry Suffredin sponsored an ordinance that passed today reducing the sales tax by .50%. This action will reduce the overall sales tax to 9.75% on January 1, 2010.
In addition the ordinance requires that, "The Cook County Budget for Fiscal Year 2010 will be based on the actual revenue received in Fiscal Year 2009, and there will be no further increase in taxes. The Elected Officials of Cook County shall present their preliminary Fiscal Year 2010 budget requests to the Finance Committee of the Cook County Board of Commissioners at a public hearing, using Fiscal Year 2009 revenues, minus any changes caused by this ordinance reducing the tax rate from one and three-quarters percent (1.75%) to one and one-quarter percent (1.25%). This information will be provided to the President for use in preparation of the Executive Budget Recommendation for Fiscal Year 2010, as provided by 55 ILCS 5/6-24004. This will allow the 2010 budget to be a realistic document that will provide full funding to all essential services."
Commissioner Suffredin said, "The reduction vote today should restore citizen confidence in the fairness of the County tax system."
Statement by Commissioner Suffredin on sales tax veto (May 5, 2009)
On May 5, 2009 I voted to repeal 1% of the Cook County sales tax. This measure passed 12-3 with 2 commissioners absent. President Stroger vetoed the bill and yesterday I voted to over- ride his veto. The over ride vote was 11-4 with 2 commissioners voting present. The over ride needed 14 votes to be successful.
After the over- ride vote I voted to repeal ¾% of the Cook County Sales tax immediately and 1/4% in a year. This measure passed with 10 votes but President Stroger indicates that he will veto it. If he does then the veto over ride would be taken up on June 2, 2009.
While I believed on February 28, 2008 that the 1% sales tax increase was the right approach to stabilizing the County, especially with the establishment of the Independent Professional Health Board, that I sponsored, to run our Health System. The Health Board now controls $1.1 billion in spending that President Stroger previously controlled and mismanaged.
Today, because of the economic reality of the times we live in and because the Independent Health Board is doing their job I believe we can and need to repeal the 1% sales tax. Repeal of this sales tax will stimulate the Cook County retail community and create more jobs. This repeal will also have a boomerang effect and cause shoppers who have left Cook County to come back and shop in Cook County.
I will continue to push for the repeal.
Cook County Revenue Analysis
In 2007, the Center for Tax and Budget Accountability issued the following report on Cook County's revenue stream.
Cook County Pensions
Commissioner Suffredin refutes Cook County Pension Board tactics to scare retired senior citizens
The Cook County Pension Board and President Todd Stroger are taking advantage of retirees in an attempt to pass an ill-advised bond issue by sending out letters implying their pensions are at stake, according to Commissioner Larry Suffredin.
“The Stroger administration has hit a new low by using scare tactics on retirees in order to gain support for an ill-advised bond deal that will needlessly cost taxpayers millions in the long run,” said Commissioner Larry Suffredin. “The Stroger administration wants future generations to pay for their current mismanagement.”
In a letter sent out to pensioners, the Cook County Pension Fund alleges that the fund’s financial health is in jeopardy if the Cook County Board of Commissioners fails to approve a bond order to fill a funding gap. The Cook County Pension Fund is currently the best funded public pension fund in Illinois. Current pension benefits are not in jeopardy.
“There are plenty of alternatives to make a contribution to the pension fund, other than saddling the taxpayers with the costs of an expensive bond,” Commissioner Suffredin said. “The Stroger administration is endangering their relationship with retirees with these reckless claims.”
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2010 Budget
View information on 2010 Budget
- Click here to review President Stroger’s Executive Recommendation.
- Budget Amendments:
- Floor Amendments:
2009 Budget
View information on 2009 Budget
FY09 Budget statements from Commissioner Suffredin
2008 Budget
View information on 2008 Budget
FY08 Budget statements from Commissioner Suffredin
Suffredin Statement: March 2, 2008
2007 Budget
View information on 2007 Budget
FY07 Budget statements from Commissioner Suffredin
FY07 Supplemental Fund Transfer information
2006 Budget
View information on 2006 Budget
2005 Budget
View information on 2005 Budget
FY05 Budget statements from Commissioner Suffredin:
2004 Budget
View information on 2004 Budget
FY04 Budget statements from Commissioner Suffredin:
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