Palatine official suggests split from Cook County

Believing Cook County has become too large for its own good, Palatine Councilman Jack Wagner is floating the idea of starting a new county for communities in the Northwest suburbs.

Though few think the idea has real chance of succeeding, the call to secede comes days after Cook County commissioners agreed to raise the county sales tax to cover a budget deficit.

Many suburban officials believe that puts towns that border other counties at a distinct disadvantage.

"The county I think has outgrown itself," Wagner said. "I think it would be reasonable for Cook County to downsize."

Wagner is suggesting that the Northwest suburbs could break away from Cook County and form a new "Lincoln County."

It's not the first time the idea has been broached.

"This is the third time this balloon has been floated," Palatine Mayor Rita Mullins said. "It is a good idea, but I don't think it is something we can achieve."

In the 1970s, then-Mayor Wendell Jones proposed detaching six Northwest Cook County townships -- Palatine, Hanover, Barrington, Schaumburg, Elk Grove and Wheeling -- to form Lincoln County. He wanted relief from the bureaucracy of Cook County.

The practical problem in trying to secede, Mullins said Wednesday, is that all Cook County residents, not just those that would be part of a breakaway, would have to agree to the move.

"It isn't a decision that Palatine or Schaumburg or Schaumburg Township can just make by themselves," she said.

Last week, Cook County commissioners voted to increase the county sales tax by 1 percentage point, which in Palatine, will raise the total sale tax to 10 percent. That is 3 percentage points higher than some Lake County communities.

"People can just go across the street and get the same thing for cheaper," Mullins said. "It makes it difficult for economic development on (the Cook) side."

While there has been no talk of secession in Barrington, Village President Karen Darch said officials there are concerned about the sales-tax increase since half the village is in Cook County and the other half is in Lake.

"Right in town here we have that crazy situation," she said. "It concerns me to have that type of disparity."

County commissions also say the secession idea is not very practical.

"I understand their frustration," said Commissioner Mike Quigley, who voted against the tax increase.

Still, Quigley said, invoking Abraham Lincoln, the namesake of the potential breakaway county: "A county divided upon itself cannot stand. We're all in this together."

Quigley said there would be monumental problems, like where prisoners would be housed and who would run the courts, not to mention finding someone to be the coroner.

Gregg Goslin, the Republican county commissioner who represents Palatine, said he's not opposed to the move in principle, but thinks the big hurdle is cost.

"The rest of it is just law -- that can be determined. But I'd like to know what the fiscal impact of it would be," he said.

Practically speaking, Goslin said, "I think it would be extremely difficult to make that happen."

While he understands there are obstacles, Wagner said he still thinks it is something worth pursuing.

"It would seem like it is something worthwhile to look into," he said.