Cook County Board deadlocked on budget

With just nine days left until a budget must be passed by law, a majority of the Cook County Board and President Todd Stroger continued their game of chicken Wednesday, barreling at each other with no budget in sight.

Stroger is advocating a sales tax increase, while a majority of commissioners oppose that.

The key to the standoff is County Commissioner Roberto Maldonado, the swing vote who has steadfastly refused the sales tax increase, calling it a regressive tax. In the past, Maldonado has voted with the administration, but he said talks with Stroger's staff broke down when they tried to strong-arm him into a sales tax.

Maldonado has proposed his own tax increases, such as a tax on heavy SUVs and drinks in bars, but those were rejected by the entire board.

Stroger, through Commissioner Joan Murphy, has proposed a 2-point increase in the sales tax, which would make Chicago's total sales tax the highest of any major city in the nation.

Stroger recently agreed to knock the proposal down to a 1.25-point increase, but Maldonado's not budging.

"We're coming down to the point very seriously," said Finance Committee Chairman John Daley at a meeting Wednesday where commissioners pontificated for two hours with no results.

Stroger chided opposition Commissioner Forrest Claypool as being against public health care, while Claypool fired back that he simply wants the political hacks fired from government.

"There's not that many political hacks in Cook County," fired back Stroger ally Commissioner Deborah Sims. "This is not about saving Cook County, this is about taking down Todd Stroger."

Monday, Murphy will float her reduced sales tax increase proposal, and Maldonado will try for his taxes again at a 1 p.m. meeting.

If neither passes, commissioners will then meet Wednesday or Thursday to hammer out a budget, cutting where needed to make the books balance.