Oct 26, 2007 7:03 pm US/Central
Angry Outbursts At County Budget Hearing
CHICAGO (CBS) ―
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Cook County Board (File)
CBS
A public hearing on proposed tax increases exploded into a series of angry confrontations at the Cook County Board Friday. As CBS 2 Political Editor Mike Flannery reports, at the same time, county employees were preparing property tax bills.
Property tax bills on about 1.5 million parcels of Cook County real estate will finally be mailed out next week, two months late because of political in-fighting in the State Capitol.
While the treasurer's office was double-checking tax bills on the seventh floor of the County Building, down on the fifth floor there was more in-fighting during debate on a proposed package of tax increases that total a record high $888 million.
"What's more important?" said South Side Democrat Comm. Jerry "Iceman" Butler. "Care for the needy, or books for the rich and greedy?"
"I'm criticizing $1 billion to solve $260 million deficit," said Laurence Msall of the Civic Federation.
"You talk out of both sides of your face," Butler said.
As Finance Committee Chairman John Daley struggled to control the raucous hearing, critics of County Board President Todd Stroger exchanged verbal fire with Stroger's allies, including former Chicago Ald. Bill Beavers, who voted to sell city assets when he served in the Council.
"Either you were asleep at the wheel or you are asleep at the wheel," Beavers said.
"Here's how you solved things," Comm. Mike Quigley said. "You sold assets, declared victory and went home."
"Were you here?" Beavers asked him. "Did you vote?"
"You sold an expressway, the millennium underground parking garage," Quigley responded.
"The solution is let's soak the taxpayer again," said Republican Comm. Tony Peraica. "At the federal level we have the Wrangel plan. At the state we have the Blagojevich plan. At the county we have Stroger. In city we have Daley…"
The next public hearing will be held Tuesday night at 6:30 p.m. in Skokie. It will be the final say for taxpayers.
This round of budget hearings is the earliest in memory for the Cook County Board. By state law, they have until next February to adopt a final budget.
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