Cook County Board repeals controversial soda tax

CHICAGO — The Cook County Board finished the job on Wednesday and repealed the controversial pop tax, which means soda drinkers won’t have to pay it come Dec. 1.

The repeal was a foregone conclusion after the board’s Finance Committee voted 15-1 on Tuesday, signaling the pop tax would be scrapped after just four months.

The Wednesday voice vote — two commissioners voted no — came despite a defiant 2018 budget address last week by Board President Toni Preckwinkle, who maintained the $200 million a year she expected the pop tax to raise was needed to avoid 11 percent across-the-board cuts. She warned of reductions in critical public health and criminal justice programs.

Preckwinkle refrained from comment during the County Board meeting.

The final repeal vote came after the American Beverage Association and local store owners teamed to spend millions of dollars to push for repeal, countering an even more expensive TV and radio ad campaign by former New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg, a billionaire public health advocate.

Now that repeal is final, Preckwinkle, other countywide elected and appointed officials and commissioners will have to start working on cutting $200 million from Preckwinkle’s proposed $5.4 billion spending plan for next year. They have until Nov. 30 to approve a budget.

NANCY STONE/CHICAGO TRIBUNE A supporter to keep the soda tax, left, and one to repeal it are seated next to each other at the Cook County Board meeting finance committee on Tuesday in Chicago. The tax was repealed Wednesday.