Commissioners discuss B2B touring route, short-term rental taxes

If Cook County officials are going to question the region’s capacity to handle more tourists for one method of outdoor recreation or an event, the same method of reasoning should apply across the board, according to one local elected official.

Cook County Commissioner Heidi Doo-Kirk  raised the notion of visitor capacity to the county during a committee of the whole discussion involving the county board and county staff that took place at the courthouse Jan. 21. At the heart of the conversation was the ongoing discussion regarding the proposed Border to Border Touring Route (B2B) and if the county should offer its support of the motorized route. A letter dated Dec. 27, 2019 from Cook County Sheriff Pat Eliasen to the commissioners and various county staff indicated the sheriff’s concerns about the B2B.

Also Tuesday, the commissioners heard an update from Cook County Assessor Bob Thompson regarding the classification of short-term rentals with regard to taxation in the county.

WTIP’s Joe Friedrichs shares an update on these topics in the audio posted below.