July 1st, a year and almost a half ago, Crystal Lake Mayor Aaron Shepley and all of his city council but Jeff Thorsen enacted at 75% city sales tax increase.

It went into effect the same day as the Todd Stroeger’s Cook County Board’s sales tax hike.

What’s the difference?

One is about to be repealed in whole or part.

And it took legislative action.

The Chicago Tribune’s editorial board has made repeal its number one reform issue since mid-summer 2008.

The Chicago Sun-Times follows along, but thinks only half of the sales tax hike should be repealed.

In Crystal Lake, on the other hand, the Northwest Herald did not even run a mid-summer article informing readers that the tax had or was about to increase.

Shows the difference editorial policy can make.