March 17, 2008
House Republicans unveil Cook County fiscal reform legislation
House Republicans Unveil
Cook County Fiscal Reform Legislation
Chicago, IL … In response to Cook County Board President Todd Stroger’s recent sales tax hike, State Representatives Angelo “Skip” Saviano (R-River Grove), Michael McAuliffe (R-Chicago) and Suzie Bassi (R-Palatine) unveiled legislation today that will make it harder for the Cook County Board to raise, require greater public disclosure of any tax proposal, and spread sunshine on Cook County hiring practices.
“The families I represent are telling me that they are finding it harder and harder to live, shop and work in Cook County. And I’m hearing similar complaints from local employers,” said State Representative Skip Saviano. “Many question the need for higher taxes and are looking for guarantees that their hard-earned tax dollars will go towards improving local services.”
The legislative package includes a new voting requirement for any tax or fee increase; more visible information available to the public on a tax or fee increase proposal prior to a vote by the county board; and finally legislation to establish an independent Cook County personnel director to prohibit mismanagement and patronage of county employees.
In February, the Cook County Board approved a measure that more than doubles the county sales tax from 0.75 percent to 1.75 percent. Due to the new tax, Chicago will have the single highest sales tax in the nation of 10.25 percent. New York City and Los Angeles are both below 8.5 percent. The tax increase will take effect July 1 and is estimated to raise an annual $426 million in additional tax revenue for Cook County government.
“Instead of instituting fiscal reforms, the county president decided to raise taxes on Cook County families who are already struggling financially due to the rise of property tax assessments, sales taxes and the cost of food and gas. He just set the bar higher by allowing Chicago to have the single highest sales tax rate in the nation,” said State Representative Michael McAuliffe.
Cook County is the state’s only home-rule county, which gives the county board numerous taxing powers that most county governments do not have, such as the ability to increase the sales tax without a referendum. Every other county in the state must ask taxpayers to vote on a referendum requesting a tax increase.
A bill sponsored by McAuliffe, House Bill 6320, would require a three-fifths supermajority vote for any tax or fee increases by Cook County. A 60 percent vote requirement of the Cook County Board of Commissioners would require 11 members of the current total 17 members to vote and approve the proposal to increase a tax or fee. Currently only nine members are needed.
Cook County Commissioner Peter Silvestri (R-9th District) introduced a super-majority vote requirement ordinance for tax increases in 2007, however, it was stalled in committee.
“The most important goal of all elected officials today must be to help weather the storm of these challenging economic times for our constituents by preventing tax increases that take more funds from needed family expenses. We must make it more difficult for government to raise taxes and teach our colleagues to live within budgetary constraints – like our constituents are doing!” said Silvestri.
A second bill, House Bill 6321, sponsored by State Representative Suzie Bassi would require all Cook County to publicly post information regarding a major tax increase proposal and the annual budget on a website for at least one week before it is voted on by the board. It also requires the county to publish the information in a newspaper of major circulation to ensure residents are aware of the tax increase proposal. This ruling would be required of Cook County when the board wants to adopt a major tax increase by an amount greater than or equal to 1 percent of the entity’s budget.
“Cook County taxpayers deserve to have adequate time to review and comment on any budget proposal because it’s their money that is being spent,” said Bassi.
According to Bassi, the Cook County budget calls for an increase in the total workforce by 1,000 new employees.
“When times are tough, families must tighten their budgets to make ends meet. Local, county and state government need to do the same. Instead of streamlining the bloated county workforce, the Cook County president wants to increase it by 1,000 more employees! Some rules and regulations need to be put in place to stop government from taking advantage of hard-working taxpayers,” Bassi added.
The House Republicans Cook County Reform legislative package includes House Bill 6322 to establish an Independent Cook County Personnel Director. The personnel director would assume control of the county’s hiring and promotions for a three-year period.
While modeled after the court-appointed hiring monitor for the City of Chicago, an independent county personnel director would ensure employees were not being hired or promoted due to their political affiliation. The director would be independently appointed with approval of a three-fifths majority (60 percent plus 1) of the County Board of Commissioners.
“An independent personnel director is extremely important for Cook County. A Federal hiring monitor appointed to investigate county hiring practices recently filed a report stating that ‘illegal political consideration in employment decisions was common at Cook County’ and has repeatedly recommended a comprehensive overhaul of Cook County’s human resources and the selection of a highly credentialed and politically autonomous personnel director,’” said Bassi. “Our bill is needed to help restore the public’s confidence in Cook County government.”
