Cook Co. commissioners out to snuff new film office

A suburban Cook County Board member is leading an effort to quash President Todd Stroger's attempt to open a Cook County Film Commission Office.

Commissioner Greg Goslin of Glenview and fellow suburban Republican Commissioners Timothy Schneider of Bartlett, Tony Peraica of Riverside and Peter Silvestri of Elmwood Park were joined by Chicago Democrats Forrest Claypool and Bridget Gainer in proposing a 2010 budget amendment that would strip away funding for the office.

The county film office was specifically cited as an unnecessary new spending program by Civic Federation President Laurence Msall in a public budget hearing earlier this month. Critics have said it would be redundant given the already successful and established Illinois and Chicago film offices.

Stroger's 2010 budget proposal allotted about $250,000 for creation of the film office, but the lion's share of that would go to salaries: $100,000 for an executive director and more than $78,000 for two assistants.

The proposed amendment simply strips that funding away.

The effort comes as some commissioners also plan to try to roll back Stroger's sales tax hike.

Orland Park Republican Commissioner Liz Gorman said that a partial repeal of the county sales tax should come up at a special county board meeting on Monday. Emboldened by Gov. Pat Quinn's signing of a law cutting the number of votes needed to override Stroger's veto, Peraica intends to propose a full repeal of the 1 percent increase imposed last year, and should that initial measure fail Schneider will follow with a 0.5 cut.

"The taxpayers have spoken loudly on this issue," Gorman said, "and we need to continue our reform efforts."

Stroger has proposed passing the 2010 budget by Nov. 19, but cutting the sales tax would likely throw the entire budget process into turmoil.