Cook County Soda Tax: Preckwinkle Doubles Down, Daley Switches Sides

CHICAGO, IL — Less than a week before the vote to repeal Cook County's soda tax, Board President Toni Preckwinkle sternly warned that a repeal will jeopardize health care jobs and services in the county. In a special meeting on the county's budget statement, she threatened massive layoffs if the county fails to generate enough revenue, particularly with the notorious soda tax. Preckwinkle's words of warning may have fallen on deaf ears, as Commissioner John Daley just announced he is in favor of the repeal.

The contentious tax, which has been vehemently opposed by many residents and county commissioners, is up for a vote October 10, so it's no surprise Preckwinkle puts that in her crosshairs with this budget statement.

With the sweetened beverage tax, Preckwinkle hopes to earn the city more than $200 million in revenue in the 2018 fiscal year. That money, the budget statement notes, will be put towards the Public Health and Safety and Public Enterprises Funds. If Preckwinkle doesn't see the $200 million revenue met, she vows to lay off hundreds of medical professionals.

This creates a confusing dilemma. The sweetened beverage tax was meant to deter residents from drinking soda and other sugary drinks, yet Preckwinkle's plan suggests that Cook County needs to earn that revenue by getting residents to buy the beverages.

At a September board meeting on the soda tax, many Cook County business owners noted that their customers are traveling to other counties to buy sweetened beverages...and other groceries while they're at it. This might suggest that the soda tax —meant to drum up necessary revenue for the county— is essentially backfiring.

It doesn't seem to be deterring residents from buying sweetened beverages, just from buying sweetened beverages in Cook County.

Some commissioners are also baffled as to why Preckwinkle would cut funds from health care if she doesn't earn enough "sin tax" from the behavior she and notably former New York City Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg, are publicly discouraging.

The answer may lie in the tax's true aim, which is primarily money, something Preckwinkle acknowledged at a special meeting about her budget recommendation. In unequivocal terms, she said, "we need this revenue," mentioning the possible "closure of community health centers" in areas where such services are limited and downgrading the trauma center at Stroger Hospital.

Daley's change of heart makes a total of nine commissioners who plan to vote against the tax. With a vote of just nine, Preckwinkle will likely veto the repeal. Commissioners and constituents must now rally to find two more members to support the soda tax repeal or their efforts to take down the tax will undoubtedly fizzle.

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