Chicago's Cook County may lay off 600 after soda tax repeal
In October, Cook County, Illinois, which includes Chicago, repealed a penny-per-ounce tax on sugary beverages that had been in effect for just two months. The move, which resulted from a huge public backlash to the tax, may lead to some 600 layoffs included in a proposal from Board President Toni Preckwinkle.
The plan calls for cutting $29.6 million from the hospital system, which would result in 22 layoffs and the elimination of two open positions. Other layoffs would most affect the courts (222 positions), the sheriff's office (244).
“I think that the president has looked at all of these positions, and those positions that they have identified that are duplicative, or managerial in nature—you have double managers in some instances—and she’s decided to get rid of those positions,” said outspoken pop tax critic Commissioner Richard Boykin, a Democrat from Chicago.
Nicholas joined TriMed in 2016 as the managing editor of the Chicago office. After receiving his master’s from Roosevelt University, he worked in various writing/editing roles for magazines ranging in topic from billiards to metallurgy. Currently on Chicago’s north side, Nicholas keeps busy by running, reading and talking to his two cats.