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Soda Tax Not Done ---Yet

Cook County Commissioners took the final vote to repeal the controversial sweetened-beverage tax Wednesday. But it’s not gone just yet.

Cook County residents will have to keep paying the tax until December 1st.

After that, it’s gone and the $200 million it was supposed to generate for county government will be gone too.

Democratic Board President Toni Preckwinkle -- who pushed for the tax --- says there will be cuts.

"Of course there will be layoffs. I can’t predict at the moment because as I said 92% is elsewhere," Preckwinkle said. "And while we can give the separately ‘electeds’ a target that they’ve got to reach, I can mandate line by line what they do."

Preckwinkle says it's up to the commissioners to come up with new revenue or cuts to balance the county’s 2018 budget.