Amending the Cook County Amusement Tax Ordinance
February 1, 2012

In difficult budget times, we need to make sure that we close tax loopholes and re-examine deals that have outlived their usefulness. I introduced an amendment to the amusement tax ordinance that was passed by the Cook County Board of Commissioners on February 1, 2012 to address these loopholes. The amendment would require the County Board to approve exemptions or waivers to the County's amusement tax where the loss to the County would be $150,000 or more in tax revenue.

Such tax exemptions have been granted to the popular Chicago music festival Lollapalooza. Lollapalooza is a success story and a great example of how public tools like temporary tax abatements can be catalyst for cultural entrepreneurship, but the taxpayers no longer need to subsidize a profitable event.