Cook County Board President Todd Stroger vetoed the tax rollback measure today, delivering on his promise just a week after the board voted to roll the tax back by a half-penny.
In a press conference, Stroger said he was blocking the measure to protect health care for the county's needy, according to the Chicago Tribune.
Stroger was the architect behind the 2008 penny-on-the-dollar increase in the sales tax. Last week the county board voted 12-5 to reduce the sales tax to 1.25 percent from 1.75 percent. The board's voted three times to roll back the tax, and three times Stroger has vetoed it.
A recent measure signed by Gov. Quinn, however, allows commissioners to garner only 11 votes instead of 14 to override a veto. Previously, it needed four-fifths approval from the board of 17.
