A week after the Illinois Policy Institute released a report on how Cook County’s 10.25% sales tax pushes shoppers—and revenues—into neighboring counties, the Cook County Board has voted to repeal its recent sales tax increase, which would bring it back down to 9.25%. Board President Todd Stroger has vowed to veto the reduction. We chronicled how Stroger pushed through this unwise double-digit sales tax back in 2008. Taxes matter. Surrounded by lower-tax jurisdictions not too far away, it was folly of Cook County to push through such a high sales tax. Our modern mobile society means that cities as well as states and countries must be attuned to nearby tax policy to stay competitive.
