REVISED REPORT OF THE COMMITTEE ON FINANCE

 

Public Hearing

 

February 20, 2007

 

The Honorable,

The Board of Commissioners of Cook County

 

ATTENDANCE

 

Present:

President Stroger and Chairman Daley, Vice Chairman Sims, Commissioners Beavers, Butler, Claypool, Collins, Gorman, Goslin, Maldonado, Murphy, Peraica, Quigley, Schneider, Silvestri, Steele and Suffredin (16)

 

Absent:

Commissioner Moreno (1)

 

Court Reporter:       Anthony W. Lisanti, C.P.R.

 

Ladies and Gentlemen:

 

        Your Committee on Finance of the Board of Commissioners of Cook County met pursuant to notice for a public hearing on Tuesday, February 20, 2007 at the hour of 11:30 A.M. in the Board Room, Room 569, County Building, 118 North Clark Street, Chicago, Illinois.

 

 

284787

COOK COUNTY SULFUR DIOXIDE EMISSION TAX (PROPOSED ORDINANCE).  Submitting a Proposed Ordinance sponsored by Roberto Maldonado, County Commissioner.  Co-Sponsored by the Honorable Earlean Collins, Joan Patricia Murphy, and Mike Quigley:

 

The following is a synopsis of the Proposed Ordinance:

 

PROPOSED ORDINANCE

 

COOK COUNTY SULFUR DIOXIDE EMISSION TAX

 

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT ORDAINED AS FOLLOWS:

 

SECTION 1    SHORT TITLE.

 

SECTION 2    DEFINITIONS.

 

SECTION 3    TAX IMPOSED.

 

SECTION 4    DEPOSIT OF TAX PROCEEDS.

 

SECTION 5    TAX IN ADDITION TO OTHER TAXES.

 

SECTION 6    RULES AND REGULATIONS AUTHORIZED.

SECTION 7    REGISTRATION & REPORTING.

 

SECTION 8    PENALTIES.

 

SECTION 9    EFFECTIVE DATES.

 

SECTION 10  SEVERABILITY.

 

*Referred to the Committee on Finance on 02-06-07.

*Amended in Committee on Finance on 02-09-07.

*Deferred in Committee on Finance on 02-09-07.

 

Commissioner Maldonado stated that according to the legal opinion of the State’s Attorney’s Office, the County has the right to impose this tax.  Commissioner Maldonado further stated that the State’s Attorney’s Office recommends that the threshold be amended from 2500 tons per year to 100 tons per year.

 

Commissioner Maldonado, seconded by Commissioner Butler, moved to amend the Proposed Ordinance to modify the threshold from 2500 tons per year to 100 tons per year.  The motion carried.

 

Commissioner Maldonado stated that the proposed revenue for a six-month period is $3 million; the proposed revenue for a twelve-month period is $6 million.

 

Commissioner Maldonado delivered a brief overview as to why passing this Ordinance today is crucial to the health of many citizens:  The human toxicity of sulfur dioxide emissions is undeniable; it causes widespread asthma (especially in children), as well as increased incidence of heart attacks and lung disease.  The agreement that the company currently has with the State of Illinois would take eleven-to-fifteen years to fully implement.  This Ordinance provides incentive for the cleanup to happen much sooner.

 

Chairman Daley asked the Secretary to the Board to call upon the registered public speakers.

 

1)         Doug McFarland - Vice President – Government Affairs, Midwest Generation

2)         George Blakemore - Concerned Citizen

3)         Maureen Headington - President, Stand Up/Save Lives Campaign

4)         Cuahutemoc Morfin - Concerned Citizen

5)         Dorian Breuer - Member, Pilsen Environmental Rights and Reform Organization

6)         Lisa P. Hamidani - Concerned Citizen

7)         Gerald J. Roper - President and CEO, Chicagoland Chamber of Commerce

8)         Alfredo Ovalle, M.D. - Physician, Stroger Hospital of Cook County

9)         Jarmano Rodriguez - representing the Illinois Hispanic Chamber of Commerce

10)       Kimberly Wasserman - Coordinator, Little Village Environmental Justice Organization

11)       Carlos Arango - Executive Director, Casa Aztlan

12)       Miguel Hernandez - Concerned Citizen

13)       Tim Montague - Associate Director, Environmental Research Foundation

14)       Vincent Headington - Concerned Citizen

15)       Elvin Collins - Concerned Citizen

16)       Roberto Montaño - Chief of Staff of the Office of Alderman Danny Solis

 

Chairman Daley asked the Secretary to read into the record a written statement from Commissioner Joseph Mario Moreno.

 

Written statement only

 

1)         Honorable Joseph Mario Moreno, County Commissioner.

 

Commissioner Maldonado, seconded by Vice Chairman Sims, moved that the Ordinance (Communication Number 284787) be approved and adopted, as amended.  Commissioner Peraica called for a Roll Call, the vote of yeas and nays being as follows:

 

ROLL CALL ON MOTION TO APPROVE THE ORDINANCE

(COMMUNICATION NUMBER 284787) AS AMENDED

 

Yeas:

Commissioners Beavers, Butler, Collins, Maldonado, Murphy, Quigley, Vice Chairman Sims, Commissioners Steele, Suffredin and Chairman Daley (10)

 

Nays:

Commissioners Claypool, Gorman, Goslin, Peraica, Schneider and Silvestri (6)

 

Absent:

Commissioner Moreno (1)

 

The motion to approve as amended CARRIED.

 

Commissioner Maldonado moved to adjourn the meeting, seconded by Commissioner Steele.  The motion carried and the meeting was adjourned.

 

YOUR COMMITTEE RECOMMENDS THE FOLLOWING ACTION

WITH REGARD TO THE MATTER NAMED HEREIN:

 

Communication Number 284787                               Approved as Amended

 

 

 

 

Respectfully submitted,

Committee on Finance

 

 

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John P. Daley, Chairman

Attest:

 

 

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Matthew B. DeLeon, Secretary

 

The transcript for this meeting is available in the Office of the Secretary to the Board, 118 North Clark Street, Room 567, Chicago, IL  60602