Local one percent local option sales tax report

Cook County Auditor/ Treasurer Brady Powers presented the year-end 2021 local one percent local option sales tax report to commissioners at the board’s Tuesday, February 22 meeting.

The numbers reflected what many of us knew. Cook County remains a popular vacation destination.

In all, the one percent sales tax netted $2,242,232.22 for 2021, up 28 percent over 2020, which saw receipts totaling $1,750,096.43.

May and June 2021 saw increases of 158.5 and 183.00 percent over the same two months in 2020, but that was because the pandemic forced most lodging places to operate under strict covid measures and fewer people were also traveling.

Revenues collected through lodging tax must be used only for promoting the city or town as a tourist area.

The one percent sales tax is used to support and promote local events selected by the tourism associations that make up Visit Cook County.

Powers also presented the 0.5 percent transportation tax. That was up 28.5 percent over 2020 and brought in $1,123,373.47. These funds are used by the Cook County Highway department to pay for bond payments dedicated to road improvements for the next ten to fifteen years.