DuPage officials hope to re-ignite cigarette tax

Facing a doomsday budget, several DuPage County leaders are hoping a cigarette tax proposal before Illinois lawmakers still has some life in it.

A majority of finance committee members agreed Tuesday the county should ask Chairman Robert Schillerstrom to delay his planned mid-September budget presentation.

They reasoned that it's premature to produce a fiscal plan with significant cuts if a new source of revenue is around the corner.

"It may send the wrong message to Springfield," finance Chairman Patrick O'Shea said.

The county has sought for months to get a new source of money through a smoking tax, believed to have the potential to raise millions.

"It's in the best interests of the county," board member Linda Kurzawa said. "The best course of action is for Springfield to pass a cigarette tax."

Although Gov. Rod Blagojevich Thursday already approved the state budget, county officials opined that the tax could resurface in other pieces of legislation.

Not every county leader agreed that the tax, which has had a roller-coaster ride in Springfield, was viable anymore.

"The cigarette tax is not going to happen," board member Brien Sheahan said. "We can't wait on Springfield to bail us out again."

Board member Jim Healy added it was more practical to "just start going through the pain."

With a gap of about $20 million between spending and revenues, the pain could be extreme.

"Without a revenue source, we'll have to make Draconian cuts that aren't good for the county," DuPage Chairman Bob Schillerstrom said. "Clearly we want to give the legislature every reason we can to pass a cigarette tax because we think it's the way to go."

It's likely O'Shea will ask the finance committee at its next meeting to vote on a formal resolution to postpone the budget.