Former Chicagoland Chamber Of Commerce President Jerry Roper Dies

CHICAGO (CBS) -- Jerry Roper, one of the biggest boosters of the city of Chicago and its business community as former head of the Chicagoland Chamber of Commerce, has passed away.

Roper was president and CEO of the Chicagoland Chamber of Commerce from 1993 until his retirement in 2013.

"Not only did Jerry Roper have a profound impact on the business community here in Chicago, he was a compassionate, generous man that connected on a personal level with everyone he met," said Chicagoland Chamber of Commerce President and CEO Theresa Mintle. "Chicago is a better place to live and work today because of the contributions of Jerry Roper."

Roper has been credited with helping eliminate the city's so-called "head tax," a $4-per-employee tax on businesses, long despised by business owners. In 2011, Mayor Rahm Emanuel and the Chicago City Council approved a plan to phase out the head tax – cutting it in half in July 2012, and eliminating it completely last summer.

The mayor said he was "deeply saddened" to learn of Roper's death.

"For more than 20 years, Jerry was a tireless advocate and a tremendous partner for strengthening Chicago's business climate and ensuring a stronger economic future for our city. Jerry understood that entrepreneurs and small businesses form the backbone of a vibrant and growing economy for Chicagoland. His work was essential and his contributions to our economic vibrancy will be long lasting. The thoughts and prayers of the people of Chicago are with his wife Carol, his entire family, and his many friends during this difficult time," he said.

Roper also was instrumental in rolling back the so-called "Stroger Sales Tax" – a penny-on-the-dollar sales tax hike pushed through by former Cook County Board President Todd Stroger in 2008.

Though Stroger later agreed to cut that tax in half, he was voted out of office in 2010, after Toni Preckwinkle – then a Chicago alderman – relentlessly criticized the sales tax hike, and promised to repeal it if elected. Preckwinkle followed through on her promise, but earlier this month began pushing for an identical sales tax hike, citing the county's pension debt, and county commissioners' opposition to a property tax hike.