Feb 29, 2008 10:30 pm US/Central
Board May Be On Brink Of County Budget Agreement
Commissioners Have Been At Prolonged Impasse Over Stroger Tax Plan
CHICAGO (CBS) ―
County commissioners may be inching toward a budget deal Friday night.
CBS 2 Chief Correspondent Jay Levine reports that deal could saddle Chicago with the highest sales tax of any major American city – more than 10 percent. The county portion of the tax would be raised from .75 percent to 1.75 percent.
The city parking tax may also increase by $1 for every time you park.
The measures would bring in an extra half billion dollars in revenue annually.
The board is in recess until 10:45 p.m. Friday, but as of 10 o'clock, it appears the deal is done. But not everyone is happy.
"This half a million dollar tax increase here is going to severely hurt our economy, it is going to make us less competitive both nationally and internationally and is going to result in a loss of jobs," said Republican Commissioner Tony Peraica.
But, there might at long last be some progress after days of abject futility and bickering.
Commissioners have two options in the face of a big budget hole: raise the sales tax or make cuts. They have been at a drawn-out impasse as to which is the lesser of two evils.
CBS 2 Political Editor Mike Flannery reports during another day of red-hot budget debate that saw little progress, County Board President Todd Stroger scolded his critics, especially those who think he's too wounded politically ever to seek re-election.
"Let's get beyond politics," said Cook County Commissioner Liz Gorman. "Let's get to it."
The Cook County Board approved Friday of $12.2 million in job cuts. The Stroger Administration, though, said that still leaves a hole of at least $234 million in the 2008 budget.
Stroger's allies blocked any further cuts and insisted on a big increase in the county sales tax.
While Stroger has the votes he needs to raise the sales tax 1.5 percent and help balance the county budget, he is rejecting that option.
Instead, Stroger wants an even higher sales tax hike that will prevent him from having to ask taxpayers for more funds in 2009 and 2010 — when he's up for re-election.
On Thursday, that rejection surprised commissioners, as they instead begin a countdown the midnight deadline.
"It's very simple – if they want to support the revenues and the contracts they voted on, you need new revenue or cuts or don't honor the contracts," County Board Finance Committee Chairman John Daley (D-11th) said Friday. "They voted for it."
A .0075 percent sales tax increase had been offered by Evanston's Commissioner Larry Suffredin. He was furious at the rejection.
"I've taken off the table any offer of compromise I made yesterday," he said.
Stroger acknowledged that his push for a 2 percent county sales tax was not going to be popular. But he scorned critics who dismiss him as an ineffectual one-term leader.
"I expect a lot of people to vote against me. But I'm runnin'," he said. "And I'm gonna run on my record."
Just before a new meeting started Friday morning, Commissioner Mike Quigley (D-10th) expressed optimism that despite the bickering in the board room, the task of passing a budget could be accomplished.
"I'm a Cub fan. I have faith that is beyond reason," Quigley said. "I think we're going to get it done."
Attempts to bridge the difference for this year by cutting back on things like consultants and overtime or 15 percent across-the-board cuts for everyone went nowhere.
The frustrations from both Stroger and commissioners repeatedly boiled over Thursday, resulting in plenty of shouting matches and finger-pointing.
One yelling match started when Quigley essentially called County Board President Todd Stroger a coward and accused him of creating a budget crisis.
"There are 17 commissioners. Do you think I'm running this by myself?" Stroger countered. "There's 17 people out there. Why don't you go talk to them?"
The shouting match was sparked by a Chicago Sun-Times revelation that Stroger and seven commissioners, among others, are set to fly out to Washington D.C. for a conference this weekend, even as jobs and services could be slashed.
Friday, Quigley said all would be well once the budget was finally negotiated.
"I think you treat like you would if you played a hockey game or a football game. It's part of the tension that's involved here," Quigley said. "You get over it. You crossed the lines and you go have a beer together."
But with the midnight deadline looming, Circuit Court Chief Judge Tim Evans stepped in earlier Friday, ordering the board not to turn out the lights.
"I fully expect the county to provide what we need to the judiciary, to the Sheriff's Office to the Clerk's Office and that whole litany of services that the county must supply and I want the citizens to know that those who will be working expect to be paid," Evans said.
Stroger, Dick Devine and Tom Dart filed a suit which will be heard Saturday morning, if necessary, to keep other county services operating and the board in session until it passes a new budget.
CBS 2's Jay Levine, Rafael Romo and Mike Flannery, and the STNG Wire contributed to this report.
(© MMIX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)
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