Double-digit budget cuts could be coming to Cook County government.
Cook County Commissioner and finance committee chairman John Daley says the budget shortfall could exceed the $300 million cited in a Chicago Tribune report. He says it could be as high as $500 million.
Daley says he supports 10 percent across-the-board cuts to help balance the budget.
He says the biggest reason for the shortfall is the loss of tax revenue, in part due to the county’s sales tax cut. Daley says he doesn’t recall any elected county officials opposing the tax cut.
DALEY: So when we did not hear from them, one would assume that they would be able to manage their office accordingly.
Commissioner Liz Gorman says cutting the sales tax was good for the county.
GORMAN: It would have been a lot easier to leave the sales tax in place, and we wouldn’t have any budget deficit. But it’s that important to stop the expansion of this government and limit spending.
A spokesman in Board President Todd Stroger’s office wouldn’t comment on the reported shortfall and says the office is still working on the proposed budget.
Originally reported by Chicago Public Radio. Read the original article here.
