Among general items of interest is that there is still discussion about reducing the sales tax from 1.75% to 1.25% if the Illinois legislature passes the bill to reduce the number of votes needed to override the President’s veto from 14 to 11. If the sales tax were so reduced, the earliest it would take effect is July 1, but since sales tax revenues are collected two months later, that means that the reduction would not be felt in the County’s revenues until October 2010. Therefore the estimated reduction in revenues for fiscal year 2010 would only be $32 million. If the Health and Hospitals System’s budget were not reduced, the rest of the County’s budget would have to be reduced by 5%.
Representatives from several areas appeared to discuss their portions of the proposed budget. Those reports will be posted individually.
--Submitted by Observer Pris Mims
