1-cent-per-ounce sugary beverage tax proposed in Cook County

(ed_welker / Flickr)

Cook County President Toni Preckwinkle has proposed a budget that includes a penny-per-ounce tax on sugary beverages.

Preckwinkle unveiled her proposed $4.4 billion fiscal year 2017 budget on Thursday. She said in comments accompanying the proposal that the county has made strides at stabilizing its financial outlook. But, she says, closing the county's budget shortfall will still mean more revenue is needed.

Her proposed tax would apply to sweetened beverages sold in Cook County, including carbonated soft drinks, fruit beverages, sports drinks and energy drinks. It doesn't include 100 percent fruit juices. The tax is expected to raise $74 million.

Preckwinkle campaigned in 2010 against a 1-cent tax increase that the board adopted in 2008. The tax was eliminated in 2013 after she won but the county raised its sales tax two years later.