Override vote on Stroger's tax rollback veto may come today

Two Cook County commissioners will find themselves on the hot seat today as the county board will likely try to override board President Todd Stroger's veto on the sales tax rollback.

Commissioners Earlean Collins and Deborah Sims, both Chicago Democrats, were absent when commissioners voted 12-3 on May 5 to repeal the 1 percentage point sales tax increase that passed in 2008. That increase brought the county's sales tax rate to 1.75 percent and made Chicago's total sales tax rate 10.25 percent, the highest of any big city in the nation.

But when commissioners repealed the increase last month, Stroger vetoed it. To override his veto, the board needs a four-fifths vote, or 14 of 17 commissioners. If those who have already voted remain steadfast, that means both Sims and Collins would have to vote to override to make it happen.

As of Monday afternoon, that didn't look likely, said Commissioner Larry Suffredin, an Evanston Democrat who originally voted for the tax in 2008 but now supports repeal and overriding Stroger's veto.

But, added the optimistic Suffredin, "I'm not giving up on it yet."

Collins and Sims could not be reached for comment, but Sims' support for repeal seems especially doubtful since she has already floated an alternate proposal that would repeal the one percentage point increase, but over four years. Additionally, several commissioners said Monday, Sims is further planning to water down her proposal, making the repeals dependent on certain revenue levels.

Suffredin and Cook County Finance Committee Chairman John Daley said if the override fails, they'll try to pass another proposal by Republican Liz Gorman of Orland Park, whose district stretches into small portions of Des Plaines and Arlington Heights. That proposal would repeal the one percentage point over two years.

But Tim Schneider, a Bartlett Republican who voted against the sales tax originally and will be voting to override, made it clear his side wants a veto vote before considering anything else.

"There's going to be no compromising with us until we take a vote on the override," Schneider said.

For any override to be possible, both Collins and Sims first must show up. The four-fifths requirement applies to the number of commissioners elected, not those present. That means that either commissioner could effectively doom an override vote by staying home.