Chicago City Wire

A state appeals panel ruled Cook County officials are not required to spend transportation tax revenue on transportation projects.

The ruling, which also applies to other “home rule” units of local government, was rendered despite a state constitutional amendment intended to prevent funds earmarked for such spending from being spent in other places.

As part of their ruling, the team of appellate justices stipulated that they interpret the boundaries of the so-called Safe Roads Amendment to only apply to taxes levied by the state government or one that is governed by state law, a report from CapitolFax.com said.

“In sum, all of the extrinsic information that might inform us of the Amendment’s intent points to the same conclusion that struck us as the most reasonable as well,” the justices wrote, CapitolFax.com reported.

“The Amendment protects from diversion those revenues from transportation-related taxes whose expenditure is authorized by statute.”

In their filing, road builder associations argued by diverting the money away from transportation construction and maintenance, the county was “balancing its budgets on the backs of its member workers, businesses and unions.”