Violence Tax, Cigarette Tax Hike In Preckwinkle's Proposed County Budget
By Chuck Sudo in News on Oct 19, 2012 2:20PM
Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle released the details of her 2013 budget Thursday and it aims to raise $43 million in new revenue through a series of new taxes and fees. Preckwinkle held the line on raising property taxes to generate revenue.
The so-called “violence tax” Preckwinkle proposed last week is one of the new fees. With a dual purpose of generating revenue and attempting to curb violence in Cook County, Preckwinkle’s proposal would impose a tax of $25 for each firearm sold in Cook County and five cents for each bullet. Opponents of the tax argue that it would only drive potential gun owners to the collar counties to purchase guns.
Preckwinkle said to the county board in her budget announcement.
Twenty-nine percent of the illegal guns used in crimes and recovered by the Chicago Police Department were purchased legally in Cook County. This violence has a real impact on the Cook County Health and Hospital System. Acute trauma care for a shooting victim costs $52,000 on average and 70% of shooting victims have no insurance. And 670 shooting victims were treated last year in our health system at an enormous cost.
The biggest moneymaker in the budget is a proposed $1-per-pack hike in the county cigarette tax, which is already at $2 a pack. If approved, it’s expected to generate $25 million in revenue. It will also be more sticker shock to Chicago and County smokers. Cigarettes already cost $4.67 a pack in Chicago and $3.99 in the suburbs. Other new fees include an $800 charge to every new video gambling machine in Cook County and a $5 fee for every “confirmation of death” letter from the County morgue.
We’ve included a residents guide to the county budget below.