Commissioner may do second flip on sales tax

The Cook County Board commissioner who provided the necessary ninth vote for the $380 million sales tax increase in 2008 reversed course Wednesday, saying he'll vote to repeal the 1-percentage-point tax increase in quarter-point increments over four years.

But shoppers shouldn't start counting their savings based on Commissioner Larry Suffredin's change of heart. Another commissioner who originally voted against the sales tax - Democrat Roberto Maldonado - says he won't back the repeal, and he blasted Suffredin for what he said was flip-flopping.

"I think that Larry is being completely disingenuous," Maldonado said.

Maldonado said Suffredin "sold his vote" for the tax increase in 2008 in exchange for the county hospital system being turned over to an independent board.

"Now that he's got his lollipop, he wants to repeal his vote," Maldonado said. "Who can trust his vote?"

Maldonado said that although he initially voted against the sales tax in 2008, he felt it would be reckless to now pull the rug out, because commitments have been made based on that tax money.

"Financial obligations were made as a result of that vote. To me it would be grossly irresponsible to roll back those sales taxes without a substitute," said Maldonado.

Suffredin, who has been hit hard over the sales tax vote, says he doesn't see this as going back on his word. He said he always sought to put a three-year cap on the tax.

But others, like Maldonado and even Republican Tony Peraica - who supports repealing the tax - saw it as a pure flip-flop.

"Now they (the Stroger administration) know how we felt when he did it to us," said Peraica, a Riverside Republican who voted against the 2008 tax increase.

He was referring to Suffredin's repeated public statements before the 2008 vote that he would not vote for the sales tax before then voting for it.

Suffredin shrugged off the criticism, saying he had voted for the tax to separate Todd Stroger from spending authority at the hospitals, and now was backing a responsible, gradual repeal rather than Peraica's all-at-once proposal.

"I'm going to do what I think is right," Suffredin said.

Asked if the administration would now pull back its end of the deal - the independent hospital board - Stroger spokesman Sean Howard said it was unlikely, since the administration had promised the hospital board a three-year commitment.

Suffredin scoffed at the notion of any meddling with the hospital as a result of his new position on the sales tax, noting the hospital board has become wildly popular because of the cost and management efficiencies it has implemented.

"I'd like to see him (try to) go back on the hospital board," Suffredin said.

Suffredin's support gives rollback proponents eight votes. Republicans Tim Schneider of Bartlett, Gregg Goslin of Glenview, Peter Silvestri of Elmwood Park, Elizabeth Gorman of Orland Park and Peraica all favor the rollback. Democrats Forrest Claypool, Suffredin and new Commissioner Bridget Gainer are also on board.

Schneider said he hopes to pick up the ninth and winning vote by persuading either Cook County Finance Chairman John Daley or moderate Commissioner Erlean Collins to come over to their side.

That may be a possibility as Daley has increasingly tried to distance himself from Stroger in several recent votes. Daley could not be reached for comment Wednesday afternoon.

With various sales-tax repeal proposals gaining steam, Stroger floated his own, saying that new federal stimulus money makes it possible to repeal one-quarter of the 1-percentage-point increase.

Stroger said his proposal was not political, but just follows through on his original promise to rebate any excess if the tax increase turned out to produce more money than needed.

Opponents scoffed at the claim, noting that just a few months ago, Stroger was proposing borrowing money for operating costs in the 2009 budget. Stroger said that was before it became apparent that federal stimulus money would make the rebate possible.

Vote: Suffredin says hospital board has nothing to do with it

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