Tue, 21 Jul 2026 15:10:26 -0500WeeblySun, 21 Jun 2026 20:26:01 GMThttps://www.lwvcookcounty.org/cook-county-board-observer-reports/cook-county-commissioners-updated-on-property-tax-system-statusLegislation and Intergovernmental Relations Committee Meeting
June 10, 2026

Most of the meeting was an update to the Board of Commissioners and the public on the measures that are being undertaken to improve the processes and oversight within the Property Tax System. Comm. Britton requested that each office reporting not rehash the problems that are well known but provide information on how they are addressing the problems that have been previously identified and plagued the system for a long time. He asked that they limit their remarks to 10 minutes so Commissioners would have time for questions. (Agenda Item 26-1230 - Received and Filed)

Summary of presentations and questions:

• Office of the President - Jim Thompson, Director of Property Tax Policy - Stated that the lack of clear authority and lack of collaboration among the several offices involved in the process underlie the structural problems of the system. He provided an outline/timeline of how the Assessor, the Board of Review (BOR), the Illinois Depart of Revenue (IDOR), the County Clerk, and the Treasurer are supposed to work together to determine what the tax should be, to provide for collection of the taxes, and then distribution of the money to the various bodies that are supported by the property taxes. He referred to the reform group that has been meeting with representatives from all the entities. They have been looking to determine changes that can be made. He also said that imposing a new computer system (Tyler) on top of the problems that already existed has been challenging as each entity has integrated the system on a different time line. Meetings with Tyler are now being held daily and work continues to fix the system.
• Assessor - Fritz Kaegi - He stated that each part of the system depends on others doing their work so that deadlines can be met. His office is now sharing methodology on tax rates with the BOR so that is going more smoothly. Once his office receives the information from the BOR (revised assessments and certificates of error - see the presentation from the BOR below) and enters the information into the Tyler system, the Assessor’s office sends information to IDOR. This year his office still had to do manual reconciliation of the data to be sent to IDOR, but next year all data should be in the Tyler system so manual reconciliation will not be required. When asked, he said the process is 1 1/2 to 2 months behind schedule this year. Data was sent to IDOR on June 10 so it can calculate the multiplier and then that information comes back to the Assessor before he can send everything on to the Clerk. The IDOR process usually takes from 7-10 days. Comm. Degnan asked how many problems (defects) remain in the Tyler system for the Assessor’s office. Mr. Kaegi stated that the office is 95% working within the Tyler system. Tom Lynch from the Cook County Department of Technology stated that the Assessor part of Tyler has been working okay - it is the tax administration functionality phase that is still being worked on. 
• Board of Review - William O’Shields, Chief Deputy Commissioner, Commissioners Steele and Cardenas – The BOR does not create an assessment - it reviews appeals of an assessment. The BOR also reviews certificates of error. The BOR is the first transfer of information after the Assessor. The appeal process allows for oral arguments and the decisions are to correct errors in the initial assessment.   The BOR sends the corrected assessments to the Assessor’s office for entry into the property tax system.   Comm. Cardenas stated that they are working to reduce the time frame for reviews and working more closely with the Assessor to align their approach. Comm. Steele stated that the BOR has 3 individual offices. each with their own staff of about 40 persons. Each office needs to hear every appeal. There were no questions from the Commissioners. 
• County Clerk – Chief Deputy Clerk Cedric Giles  - That office deals with tax rates and it is fully using the Tyler system. The office applies the tax rates to the information from the Assessor and that process takes about 16-20 days to complete. That office also manages the redemption payments after the tax sale and this process is still not fully functional on Tyler. 
• Treasurer - David Byrnes, Chief of Staff - Began by reading a letter from Treasurer Maria Pappas. Comm. Britton reminded him not to focus on the past but highlight what changes are being made to make the system work. Mr. Byrnes stated that 2500 tax bills from last year have still not been sent due to data issues in the Tyler system that still has an identified 214 defects (though not all of these are critical). Since those bills have not been sent, the tax income has not been determined and thus cannot be distributed. The 2500 that have not been sent are scattered throughout the County and there are 6-7 defects that are holding them up. Mark Hawkins from Tyler stated that last year the first set of bills was done still on the mainframe computer and the second was sent on Tyler. Part of the problem holding up the bills from last year was that there were inconsistencies between the data in the two systems.  This year everything is being done through Tyler so the data problem should not continue. 
• The latest date for the termination of the mainframe is now July 31, 2026. All offices are off the mainframe except for the Clerk’s office that still uses it for reference. The Assessor started using Tyler 3 years ago according to Tom Lynch (Chief Information Officer, Dept. of Technology). He also stated that all payments to Tyler are based on milestones being met. To maintain the mainframe costs about $7M/year and the hardware is so old it is no longer available and all employees who worked on it are now retired. Comm. Degnan pressed Tom Lynch to estimate the cost for all the problems that have occurred with the tax system and his estimate was about $20M. 

Prior to these presentations,

• Meeting began with Public Speakers that included Priscilla Mims speaking on behalf of the League of Women Voters of Cook County asking the Commissioners to encourage the local election authorities to provide a way for voters to submit their Vote-by-Mail Ballots at their local precincts on election day. In addition, there were 2 other speakers addressing Voting Rights; 8 speakers from entities that have not received their tax distributions for the year and asking that the tax system be fixed; and 4 other speakers making general comments. 
• An amendment to the ordinance about the process for filling vaccines of some of the separately elected County Offices was approved by the committee without comment. (26-1414) 
• A resolution calling for a hearing on Voting Rights was not discussed. (26-1409)

Observer:  Cynthia Schilsky
]]>Sun, 21 Jun 2026 20:16:23 GMThttps://www.lwvcookcounty.org/cook-county-board-observer-reports/cook-county-board-hearing-on-mediations-for-domestic-relations-and-child-representationCook County Board - Criminal Justice Committee 
June 10, 2026

The Committee heard from public speakers and criminal justice stakeholders pursuant to a request for hearing to consider measures to be implemented to ensure fair and equitable processing of mediations for domestic relations and child representation.  (Item 25-3661, sponsored by Commissioner Donna Miller) Problems concerning these had been identified in prior meetings. 

• Public speakers spoke about the lack of follow up, confusion, and continued movement of personnel within the courts, whether participants are involved with the domestic relations and/or domestic violence court.  Several speakers thanked Commissioner Miller for taking the lead and listening to the experiences of people who are involved in the domestic criminal justice system (which is a separate issue).  A few speakers spoke about the length of time their cases have been in the courts, such as 7, 8 or 9 years, and the impact this has on their lives, families and children.  
• Diane Brown spoke about her daughter Jennifer and her experience in the court which started in 2017. The case is still open after 9 years and 8 judges.
• Another speaker shared that when her daughter was 11 or 12 she asked for equal parental time with her mother. During an 8-year period, numerous personnel changes occurred in the case, including 3 different judges. This resulted in no contact between mother and daughter for 7 ½ years.   She stated that courts should not have so much power over families. 
• Several people mentioned the role of GALs (Guardian ad Litem) in their cases and the fees involved.  GALs are independent licensed attorneys appointed by judges, credentialed in Illinois, who go through extra training to represent the best interest of children in domestic relations cases. They are not employees of the court. 

Representatives from the Chief Judge, Sheriff, State Attorney’s, Clerk of the Court, and Public Guardian; shared updates and answered questions from the Commissioners.  These questions, particularly Commissioner Stamps', centered around appointed GALs and fees involved, accreditation, court reporters, orders of protection (POs), length of time to serve, what information is available to the judges and where they receive it from, and what drives process and practices. 

Questions and answers concerning GALs included:  

• How are they assigned – by judges from an approved list
• How do attorneys become a GAL- independent licensed lawyers go through two 8-hour training days to learn court procedures and the role GALs play
• What are they paid -  $110/hour (for last 20 years)  or if judge decides the family can afford to pay a higher rate, could be as much as  $300 or $400/hour 
• If a family cannot pay, the court can appoint a public guardian who has a sliding scale or may be pro bono
• Is there a sliding scale available for GAL - no, fee is statutorily set
• Due to what may be an arbitrary decision on what kind of representation a family may receive, some people owe thousands of dollars in fees

The Resolution states that GALs are interviewed and screened by current GALs and that the Office of Public Guardian accepts appointments as the child representative in the majority of cases (as opposed to the GAL). 

Additional questions and responses included:
Who handles issues regarding ethics or problems with representation from lawyers?

• All concerns are directed to the ARDC ( Attorney Registration and Disciplinary Commission).  
• ARDC investigates misconduct complaints. By design, the process is confidential. 

Why are there no court reporters in these courts?

• There is a statewide lack of court reporters which leads to lack of accountability.
• Lack of court reporters is an impediment to seek review or appeal.
• Court reporters are not required in all cases. Are required if only one side is appearing in court or there is an interview of a child in the judge’s chambers.
• When asked about use of zoom, the answer is the technology is not there yet for accuracy.  A recording is not a substitute for a transcript. 
• When asked about increasing the number of court reporters, Commissioner McCaskill shared that South Suburban College has a court reporter training program.

On a separate issue, Orders of Protection (OPs) not being served cause litigants to feel unsafe for themselves and their children, A recent analysis determined that 75% of civil OPs remain unserved in Cook County.  Data from Sheriff’s office:

• Orders are processed by Clerk of the Court’s office and sent to Sheriff 
• About 72% of OPs are served on the same day as issued.  A second attempt is made within 24 hours, and 3rd attempt in 72 hours. 
• From Nov 1, 2025 to Feb 28, 2026, data showed there were 6,212 orders with 56.7% served. 
• Main barriers to serving are cannot be located, wrong address, respondent relocated. 
• There were some questions regarding how orders are issued - paper or electronically. Answer paper with some follow-up electronically. 

Information available to the judges?

• Information generally comes from the Clerk of the Court’s office 
• Judges have access to domestic violence court records

Other points from Commissioners:

• Need for raining for judges and others and the need to be mandatory
• There is a need to monitor technology in order to support the system better
• Questions on judges and turnover on cases
• Commissioner Stamps wants racial and gender data tracked. (The Commissioner said that 70% of victims are black women.) Some of this will require IL statute change. 
• Lobbying will be needed to update fee statutes and where court reporters are required. 

​Observer:  Laura Davis 
]]>Sun, 21 Jun 2026 19:00:19 GMThttps://www.lwvcookcounty.org/cook-county-board-observer-reports/cook-county-board-committee-meetings9873080Criminal Justice Committee
June 9, 2026
Commissioners Hold Hearing on Orders of Protection and other Matters

The meeting had one agenda item:  a resolution to hold a hearing to examine the challenges, delays, and systemic gaps related to the service and enforcement of orders of protection (OPs) electronic monitoring compliance, and revocation of Firearm Owner’s Identification (FOID) cards.  (tem 26-1526)

• Public comments included a request to look at the system of electronic monitoring as a whole, rather than individual cases, in setting policy.  

During the rest of the hearing:

• Domestic violence was acknowledged as the highest crime incidence on the west side of Chicago. Accused perpetrators are known to ‘hide’ from those trying to serve OPs.  Communication to survivors about perpetrators released from custody is essential. The resolution stated that data from the Sheriff showed that 45% of OPs go unserved.
• The Sheriff’s report on FOID revocation showed that 68% of owners with revoked FOID cards do not comply with the transfer of arms. 
• There was discussion of a proposed bill to provide 60-day electronic notice to turn in weapons or have your driver’s license revoked.  Comm. Stamps asked why 60 and not 30 days? She was told that 60 days is the legislative standard notice.  Comm. Daley asked about the status of this bill.  He was told that it remains under negotiation. Comm. Miller asked about the anticipated opposition to the bill.  One concern was that the loss of a driver’s license could lead to a loss of work / family income.
• Service of OPs currently involves 3 attempts to serve a person within a 72-hour period.  A proposed bill calls for electronic receipt of the order and opening of the notification.  Precedent for use of this system is Washington State.  Data will be sent to Commissioners, but reported improvements include more people showing up in court to present their own case and improved due process, i.e. people know that they have been served, and improved privacy, i.e. no sheriff showing up at your home or workplace.
• Reasons for delay of this bill include: it takes time for the General Assembly to understand the intentions of the bill; time needed to get partner organizations/offices involved and aligned, e.g. State’s Attorney and Public Defender must weigh in.

Sheriff’s Office input:  

• Has supported several other bills aimed to improve safety for victims and due process for both parties
• A taskforce is working on a Public Safety dashboard that can notify relevant government and law enforcement agencies of orders of protection and electronic monitoring orders
• Prefer in person attempts to serve the order and e-serve as secondary process

State’s Attorney’s Office input

• Support any mechanism to notify individuals to appear in court to clarify parameters of the order
• Need hard evidence that people are notified
• Comm. Anaya asked if there are legislative gaps. The response was there are laws in place for use of e-devices to locate victim and witnesses in or near the court building. State-wide case-level data is not currently accessible, so office’s dashboard and Clerk’s office data are searched. 
• Victims need a police report to get into criminal (vs civil) court.  Chicago Police Department now takes reports at the Domestic Violence Courthouse instead of the victim needing to go to a station.

Public Defender’s Office input

• Lack of notice hurts both victims and their clients
• State’s Attorney now has access to other orders of protection from the Clerk of the Court in preparation for court

Observer:  Sue Gregory

Finance Committee
June 10, 2026
Commissioners Receive Performance Management Report

Carrianne Carallis, the Director of the Department of Research, Operations and Innovation (“ROI”), gave a short presentation on the status of the County’s Performance Management program in conjunction with the 2025 Annual Performance Management Report.  (Item 26-1025.)  This Report covers all departments within Cook County.  

• The ROI Department in 2025 worked with all the departments under the President to establish goals and outcomes.  The goals are broad statements that describe what an agency or department aims to accomplish over time.  Outcomes are the intended change or public benefit that indicate progress toward a desired goal.  The ROI intends to work with the departments under the other officials to establish goals and outcomes during 2026.
• While there are metrics listed for each goal, most of these are from prior years.  In response to a question from Comm. Anaya as to what checks and balances exist to make sure the metrics are appropriate, Director Carallis said that the ROI Department intends to work with all departments to tailor the metrics so they better measure whether the outcomes are being achieved during 2026. 
• Comm. Degnen stated that this Report is better than the last 3 annual reports.  She recommended that future reports should also provide narratives as to how the departments can improve.  She said the goals should be the cornerstones of what each department does.
• Comm. McCaskill said she looks forward to seeing how the performance management program goes forward and would like the goals, outcomes and appropriate metrics also applied to the various organizations which receive grants from the County.

The Committee recommended Board approval of

• A change in the ordinance Sec. 76-677 so that the revenues from the tax on firearm ammunition shall go to fund gun violence prevention programs and operations as determined by the Justice Advisory Council.  Previously the revenues went to the Special Purpose Equity Fund for those same purposes. (item 26-1336)
• A resolution to award additional Justice Advisory Council grants to 9 organizations to support community violence intervention programming. (item 26-0721)

The Committee deferred action on a proposed ordinance amendment to require that all contracts exceeding $3 M include a statement that a vendor’s failure to perform or deliver may result in a minimum 10% penalty.  Comm Degnen, the sponsor along with Comm. Kevin Morrison, explained that the deferral was to provide time to determine exactly where this provision should be placed in the County Code of Ordinances.  (Item 26-1514)

The County Comptroller reported that up through April,

• The General Fund has a favorable net variance as compared to budget of $344.1 M composed of higher revenues of $264.3 M and lower expenses of $79.8 M as compared to budget.
• The Health Fund has an unfavorable net variance as compared to budget of $47 M composed of lower revenues of $15.8 M and higher expenses of $31.2 M as compared to budget on a cash basis.  

Observer:  Priscilla Mims

Asset Management Committee
June 10, 2026
Committee Approves More Contract Funds But Concerns Expressed

• Capital Planning & Policy was seeking approval of  $13.25 M in additional funds for an existing Job Order Contract (JOC) program that had $197,250 M previously allocated. 
• The JOC program has a pool of approved contractors that can be used for smaller construction projects that are less than a year in duration, such as preparatory site work and electrical work.  The projects have specific pricing.   There are various projects currently under construction in County buildings.
• The original contract term expired in January of 2026, but under a new County Porcurment Code, the Chief Procurement Officer was authorized to exercise the option within the contract to extend it to 2028.  However, there is no authorization for additional dollars to be added, which is why this item was before the Commissioners for approval. 
• Commissioners Degnen and Anaya both expressed concern that the contract was extended without providing the Board updates on the work involved and now the Commissioners were being asked to approve additional funds.   Issues and delays with the 5th floor remodeling were pointed out.  
• Earl Manning, the Director of Capital Planning and Policy,  committed to providing updates to the Commissioners.
• The Committee approved the additional funds.   Commissioners Degnen and Anaya voted present. (Item 26-0842)

Observer:  Kathi Graffam

Finance Subcommittee on Litigation
June 10, 2026

Inspector General  Paxton presented some of the statistics and items from his 1st quarter report from the Office of the Independent Inspector General. Concerning the cases involving employees seeking Payroll Protection loans for companies run outside of their County jobs, Commissioner Degnan asked whether, when the Office recommended termination and placement on “do not hire” list, the termination takes place. Mr. Paxton did not have specific statistics ,but stated that in general the termination took place.
Observer:  Hollis Burgess

Technology Committee
June 10, 2026

For the third month, the Committee deferred the one item on the agenda:  a contract for video analytics platform to detect security breaches throughout the Department of Corrections.  (Item 26-0816)
Observer:  Ed Spire]]>Sun, 24 May 2026 14:53:16 GMThttps://www.lwvcookcounty.org/cook-county-board-observer-reports/committee-hears-reports-on-state-of-cook-county-labor-forceCook County Board Labor Committee             
May 12, 2026
(Also see the separate report for the other Committee Meetings on May 12 and 13)

The Labor Committee, in response to the Resolution in Item 26-1249, requested the County Elected Officials to report on the state of its labor force. They were asked to address: reducing the current vacancy rate and hiring timeline; reducing employee turnover rate; aggregate demographics of the official’s current workforce, limited to race and gender; collaboration efforts with labor unions on hiring initiatives; and pathway programs to create and sustain a future workforce. Below is a summary of those reports for each entity:

Human Resources (covering the Offices under the President) – 2,700 employees

• Vacancy: 14%; Timeline: 60 days for recruitment; 30 days from interview to onboarding; turnover 8.44%; average tenure about 10 years; male/female ratio balanced, diversity representative of community; have action plan to address any change in demographics

Processes in place to address recruitment and retention

• Introduced engagement (with 76% response from current employees) and exit surveys
• Managers hire; Union input on employee performance review process
• Emphasize countywide benefits, competitive salaries, some positions with hybrid work options, pension and vacation benefits, attractive health and wellness packages
• 1 year fellowship program with Northwestern and UofC; created entry level jobs for interns to join; work with CPS

Comm. Degnan asked for actual economic impact of maternity/paternity leave that was extended several years ago with an estimated cost of $3M.  Commissioners now have the opportunity to add interns to their staffs.

Cook County Health - 6,620 employees

• Vacancy: 19.8%; Timeline: 78 days; Turnover: 8.4%; Tenure about 10 years; staff predominantly female; 47% identifying black population

Processes in place to address recruitment and retention:

• Work with unions on hiring initiatives, updated job descriptions as jobs/duties change;
• Adapted Docusign and rebuilt Linkedin page to accelerate hiring process; reduce redundancies
• County supported programs include Provident Scholarship Fund -- scholarships with wrap around programs and mentorships; Health Catalyst program -- challenge grant w/City College providing 1 year externship; Project Rainbow with Google --18-month program to obtain Google certification for career in cybersecurity and data analytics

Assessor’s Office – 73 employees

• Vacancy: 13%; Timeline: 49 days from recruitment to hiring; use exit interviews, new hire and internal transfer surveys to assess job issues; majority female workforce; minority representation reflects community 

Processes in place to address recruitment and retention

• Monthly labor/management meetings to address/reduce grievances; quarterly classification review for job descriptions and levels; added 50 bargaining unit members at higher grades
• Added Dir of Recruitment and HR Director
• Use job fairs and public service panels to recruit; have new-hire cohort meetings
• Added skills assessments, eg., Excel, Word, etc., to process for more reliable info for hiring; also do criminal background checks; use surveys for feedback on hiring and transfers
• Engagement committee plans events for employees, such as Coffee & Conversation, Lunch & Learn, peer cheer celebrations
• Hybrid work opportunities
• Use internships and partnerships with local high schools and colleges to identify potential employees

In response to a question from Comm. Lowry, higher compensation is driver in those leaving.

Board of Review – 177 employees

• Management/Supervisory 12%, analyst/taxpayer services 65%, admin/support 13%
• Vacancy:  14; Timeline: 15 days; Turnover: 4%; Employee demographic reflects community

The following are processes in place to address recruitment and retention

• Continually review compensation structures; invest in workforce development, stability; growth and opportunity; promote employee professional education/certified staff
• Just completing first union labor agreement with SEIU

In response to a question from Comm. Anaya, will supply how many employees are bilingual and what languages.

Clerk of Circuit Court    1,400 employees

• Vacancy:  8.6%; Timeline: 45-60 days interview to first day; use enhanced screening; just did massive hire; Turnover: 1.8%; tenure: 18 years; majority women; majority black identifying

The following are processes in place to address recruitment and retention

• Follow employment plan; job fairs; standardized interviews; enhanced screening; skill-based assessment tests; reduce redundancies
• Added business agent; bimonthly meetings with union which includes education on hiring process, laterals and promotions
• All staff gets customer service training; rotate courtrooms for varied experience, focus on substantive training; have work/life balance sessions in lunch & learn; internal advising available for laterals and promotions

Comm. Stamps asked about testing – standardized math, verbal, reading comprehension, multiple choice; starting salary is $48,000

Cook County Clerk -- 200-500 employees depending on season

• Vacancy:  13.6%; Timeline: 49-60 days posting to hiring; Turnover relatively low; 40% male; 60% female; mostly diverse workforce; new deputy clerk dedicated to DEI

The following are processes in place to address recruitment and retention

• Continually review job descriptions; update interview questions; job fairs
• Cross-over training; career mobility opportunities/promote from within; responsive to employees’ concerns; regularly meet with staff; developing employee recognition program; conflict resolution and sexual harassment training
• Seasonal election workers in bargaining unit; encourage upward mobility with skills-based training; union input to reclassify jobs; quarterly management meetings

Comm Stamps wants more info on the effectiveness of using job fairs vs. cost and time/

Sheriff  -- 5,000 employees 

• Vacancy:  96 civilian, 148 sworn; Timeline: 73 days; use background investigation software to reduce time between application to training; HR reduced # classes from 8 to 6; increased size of classes; tenure – 13.5 years; Demographics reflects diversity of community

The following are processes in place to address recruitment and retention

• Large social media presence; 20 career fairs 
• Standardized orientation and onboarding; Learning and Development workshops for managers/leaders; annual performance evaluations via Benchmark software; employee engagement/development programs; partnerships with higher education, agreements to discount tuition; peer support
• 15 bargaining units; meeting almost daily w/different units.
• Internship program; good relations with college and universities in area; developing pipelines with Chicago Public Schools and area high schools 
• Stamps: in and out basically even; women leadership support; upper management diverse; training exceeds state standards re implicit bias and cultural competency; training in person and module

State’s Attorney -- 1,452 employees, 924 are Asst State’s Attorneys (ASA)

• Vacancies:  104 ASA, 5 investigator, 62 admin;istrative. Timeline: 40-45 day; Demographics: 62% female; 37% male; 47% black, 53% white and other
• 50 paid interns; 80 unpaid interns; 231 applications for summer interns; 96 accepted

The following are processes in place to address recruitment and retention

• Use centralized job postings; reducing redundancies; competitive compensation, benchmarking salaries 
• Structured onboarding and mentorship; regular feedback; leadership development; exit interviews to make sure address problems
• Union/management shared hiring initiatives; fair/transparent hiring criteria; equitable outreach; grievance-informed process improvement; mutual accountability on diversity goals; collaboration on offer and classification of work timelines.

Treasurer’s Office  -- 70 employees; 36 with foreign language, 13 languages

• Vacancy:  4 open; Timeline: 45 days recruiting to onboarding; Demographics: 58 white, 42 minority; 62% male
• Collaboration w/unions
• Work with colleges, Chicago Public Schools, law school fellowship opportunities
• Continuous training and engagement skills

Observer:  Hollis Burgess

]]>Sun, 24 May 2026 14:23:14 GMThttps://www.lwvcookcounty.org/cook-county-board-observer-reports/cook-county-board-committee-meetings1803572Cook County Board Committee Meetings
May 12 and 13, 2026
(see also the separate report on the May 12 Labor Committee meeting)

Cook County Legislation and Intergovernmental Relations Committee
May 12, 2026
Clerk’s Office Provides Update on 2026 Primary Election

At the request of the Cook County Board, the Cook County Clerk’s office provided an update on the March 2026 Primary Election.  (Item 26-1147) 
Cook County Clerk Monica Gordon provided a brief update via video

• She stated that the new system utilized by the Election Division of her office which was introduced for the March election is called Election Lens.
• The system will provide live updates from polling places; integrate the data from the Smart Mail-In Ballot Drop Boxes; and provide tracking for mail-in ballots. All the data from these sources will be integrated into Election Lens to provide a profile of how the election process is working and where there could be problems.
• AI is also being used at the call centers to expedite responses to calls. 

The CEO of KNOWiNK and Ed Michalowski, Deputy Clerk for Elections continued with the update. KNOWiNK is the company that makes the poll books the County uses for elections and is the company behind Election Lens. They provided a demonstration of how Election Lens will work making the following points:

• It will provide information on real time check-in of voters
• By integrating the data from the drop boxes for mail-in ballots all those ballots should be able to be counted on election day
• Provides tracking for all mail-in ballots in real time.
• Will assist with polling place readiness - to see how each precinct is operating and identify any problems. 
• There will be GPS tracking of all election equipment.

Questions from commissioners focused on who would be able to view the data collected. Would it be available to the general public? The Commissioners and their staff? The political parties? 

• Response was that those issues will need to be worked out and would depend on the type of data as well as ensuring security and privacy issues. 
• The head of Cybersecurity for the Clerk stated that the system has the highest level of security and they will be running a mock election this summer to further test the system. He also said they work closely with the Cook County Bureau of Technology to ensure they are in compliance with County regulations, and they meet with them monthly. 
• Comm. Britton asked how the integration of election results between Chicago and the County is progressing. Mr. Michalowski said it could be done if the Chicago Board of Elections is willing. Comm. Daley said that he is also requesting the Chicago Board of Elections to come before the Commissioners to provide their update. 

The Committee also approved a resolution that would initiate a process to engage an organization to develop a process to develop a youth council to provide a voice to the young people of the County. 

• It is intended that the council will consist of 20 young people between the ages of 14-21 and will launch in 2027. (Agenda Item 26-1017) Commissioners thought this was a good way to provide an administrative approach to engaging youth and wanted to be sure it had representation from all aspects of the County and a workforce component was also suggested. Comm. Lowry stated that the Commissioners would be asked for input into the development once the organizing agency was selected. 

Also approved was the appointment of Olive Brown as the Resident Commissioner to the Housing Authority of Cook County. (Item 26-1188)

​Observer - Cynthia Schilsky

Cook County Criminal Justice Committee Meeting
May 13, 2026
On Split Vote, Committee Approves Automated License Plate Readers & Services Contract

The Committee approved all 3 agenda items, but the first one seeking approval for an Automated License Plate Readers and Services Contract (26-1043) passed on a split vote with 13 ayes, 3 nays (Comms. Anya, Stamps, and Vasquez), with 1 absent (Gainer).  Under the contract, Insight Public Sector would continue to provide services and increase the number of stationary Automated License Plate Readers at a cost of $900,000 over 2 years thru (April 30, 2028) with 2 one-year renewal options. 

• There were several public speakers: three Police Chiefs in person and several chiefs online. All spoke to the importance of having license plate readers (LPRs) in their communities and across communities.  They referenced specific incidences regarding violent crimes, carjacking, hit and runs, and missing persons.  One chief said that LPRs are important for public trust.
• The County first contracted for cameras as an emergency procurement in 2022 when the County had a crisis with carjackings.  Commissioner Miller shared her own experience with being carjacked before cameras were available.
• Cook County already has 71 cameras deployed
• Concern was raised with data shared and how long it is kept. Currently held for 30 days unless there is a link with a crime.  Commissioners want to be notified if the Sheriff extends the 30-day retention.
• Concern was raised with misuse of the data in regard to targeting immigrants or people accessing abortion services. Data can only be accessed by others through FOIA or a court order/subpoena.
• If there is a data breach, the Commissioners want to be notified. Expectation is within 24 hours. 
• Cook County has its own Professional Services Agreement (PSA) which guides and restricts how data can be used.  Several Commissioners asked for a copy of the PSA and expressed concern with county data shared with 3rd parties.
• Other information shared about the cameras is there is no facial recognition, no capability to see individual people in the car, and it is not used for predictive policing.

The two other items passed unanimously by those at the meeting were:

• Resolution in support of Illinois SB2801/HB4471 which provides that a person commits the offense of unlawful possession of weapons when the person knowingly manufactures, sells, or offers to sell, purchase, receive, manufacture, import, or transfer a convertible pistol. Also provides that a machine gun also includes any convertible pistol equipped with a switch. If a switch is added to these guns they can shoot up to 1,200 rounds per minute. (item 26-1198)
• IL Criminal Justice Information Intergovernmental Agreement that provides for data sharing among local governments regarding community violence intervention programs under the Government Alliance for Safe Communities. The goal is to streamline metrics, investments and analyze local impact of community violence intervention strategies in Cook County and coordinate where resources go with the research partnership of Northwestern University. (Item 26-0553)

Observer:  Laura Davis

Cook County Health and Hospital Committee
May 12, 2026 
Committee Hears that Agency Use Is Down at CCH

• At this Committee meeting, Cook County Health Chief Human Resource Officer Win Buren and Executive Chief Operating Officer Craig Williams presented Cook County Health’s Semi-Annual Agency Utilization Report for the period of October 2025 through March 2026.
• Cook County Health (CCH) is required to provide a Bi-Annual Agency Utilization Report to comply with Resolution 24-5841 of the Cook County Board. The Board had a concern about the number of jobs being filled with people from external agencies, as opposed to County employees.  These bi-annual reports will no longer be required once CCH agency utilization does not exceed 20% of the budgeted Full Time Equivalents (FTE) personnel for each job classification approved in the annual budget by the Cook County Board of Commissioners.
• The overall trend is downward for agency usage for all job categories. 
• Job titles accounting for high % of agency usage are: Clinical Nurse I; Health Information Management Coder; Third Party Bill Follow Up Representative and Medical Laboratory Scientist
• Commissioner Daley asked for further information on the impact of absenteeism and usage of agency.
  
• Commissioner Stamps asked about effectiveness of the job recruiting fairs. Mr. Buren reported that currently 71% of newly hired nurses came through job fair events. 
• Nick Shields, Cook County Health’s Chief External Affairs and Civic Engagement Officer, said in response to Commissioner Stamps’ question about the health system’s work with high schools in Chicago and the suburbs that he is holding ongoing meetings with Chicago Public Schools and contacting suburban districts to set up preceptor and other student opportunities.

Observer:  Susan Avila

Finance Committee 
May 13, 2026
Committee Approves Reallocation of ARPA Dollars for Gun Violence Prevention

• To ensure all Federal dollars under the American Rescue Plan Act are spent, the Committee approved a reallocation of those dollars to increase the amounts to entities which have consistently provided timely financial and program reporting under the Gun Violence Prevention and Reduction Grants.  (Item 26-0554)
• Also approved a proposed contract for consulting services with ICF Incoporated for $5.9 M thru the end of 2031 to manage $244 M for unmet housing and recovery needs resulting from disasters that occurred in 2023-24.  It was stated that the County does not have the capacity to manage this on its own.  (item 26-1064)
• After a long discussion, approved a contract for law enforcement entry-level and promotional testing services for use by the Cook County Merit Board, which is responsible for doing the initial assessment that someone is qualified for an entry-level position or promotion in the Sheriff’s departments.  However, the Merit Board does not actually make the hiring or promotion decisions, which are with the Sheriff.  Much of the discussion centered on whether there are any requirements that someone who is hired and trained then works for some minimum time before leaving, as a result of discussions that occurred at the Labor Committee meeting on May 12.  However, that does not come under the Merit Board’s purview.  (Item 26-1014)
• Deferred was a Substitute resolution to continue the Recruitment Incentive and Retention Bonus Program.  Sponsors Anaya and Degnen explained that the deferral was to work out some language with the President’s office, but they expected that to be resolved quickly. (item 25-1251)
• The Comptroller reported that through March 31:  the General Fund has a favorable $261.7 M as compared to budget and the Health Fund has a favorable $27.7 M as compared to budget.  For this fiscal year, the Federal Government has cancelled $700,000 worth of one-time grants to the County.

Observer:  Priscilla Mims

Cook County Asset Management Committee     
May 13, 2026
Concerns Raised about Length of Time to Award Contract
The Committee approved a contract for demolition and renovation of buildings at Cook County Jail. (26-1057)   It was noted that it took 2 years from the time of the request for proposal (RFP) to actually awarding the contract.

• Commissioner Degnen asked what happened in the process for it to take so long.  Raffi Sarrafian, Chief Procurement Officer, did not have the details of the process and said he would get that information to her.  Commissioner Degnen said the Asset Management staff should have expected that a Commissioner would ask about the length of time and have that information ready for the meeting.

Jamie Meyers, Interim Bureau Chief of Asset Management, presented the annual report of the 2025 Build Up Cook Program.  The purpose of the program is to help municipalities maintain critical infrastructure such as water supplies, as well as assess future needs.   

• Examples of the work included: helping Harvey repair a major break in its water supply main; assessing public buildings for structural integrity with 24 municipalities; training water operators on maintenance and repair; and helping villages compete for federal funding for projects. The report was received and filed (26-1144)

Observer:  Kathi Graffam

Contract Compliance Committee
May 13, 2026
Committee Reviews Annual Diversity Report

• Raffi Sarrafian, Chief Procurement Officer presented the 2025 Annual Diversity Report which records the amount of contractual work and money going to women owned, minority owned, and small businesses (MWBE). The report was received and filed (26-0815)
• The Department has goals for inclusion of MWBE business in the procurement process with prescribed benchmarks but not quotas or set-asides. The methodology is used by many municipalities and is legally defensible.
• Of the total of $1.08B awarded for County contracts, $231M went to MWBE entities, which is 21%.  Separately, Cook County Health had a total of $1.6B in awarded contracts with $209M going to MWBE, which is 28%.
• The Department currently has 706 businesses certified as MWBE that can bid on work. The Department has a goal to increase that number. Asset Management consults with other departments on creating their contract requirements so that smaller businesses can participate.
• The Business Service Organization of the Economic Development Department provides support to businesses in getting their MWBE certification.

Observer:  Kathi Graffam

Cook County Environment & Sustainability Committee 
May 13, 2026
Committee Approves Resolution to Advance the Chicago Area Waterway System Ecological Health

This one item was passed unanimously (26-1238).

• The Chicago Waterway System is 76.1 miles of canal and modified natural rivers which are home to a variety of wildlife, plants and fish, with fish species, rising from 10 in 1974 to 77 species in 2026. This indicates significant improvements in water quality and aquatic habitat. 
• The next goal is to target “hot spots” from years of pollutants that drop to the river bottom. The work will be performed by the US Army Corps and US EPA and the resolution was passed last year by the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District and  by the City of Chicago earlier this year.

Observer:  Laura Davis 
]]>Sun, 26 Apr 2026 21:52:49 GMThttps://www.lwvcookcounty.org/cook-county-board-observer-reports/cook-county-health-provides-updates-on-medicaid-eligibility-and-infectious-diseasesCook County Board Health and Hospital Committee Meeting
April 14, 2026 (regular meeting)

Cook County Health (CCH) CEO Erik Mikaitis, along with Kathy Chan and Alexandra Normington, presented  a report on CCH’s Medicaid Impact Workgroup (item # 23-0202).

• CCH is asking everyone to share the Medicaid Facts Microsite:  https://getmedicaidfacts.com 
• Medicaid Eligibility Changes as a result of the bill known as H.R.1 passed in 2025 include: (1) Narrows definition of “qualified immigrant” which will end eligibility for many lawfully present individuals (such as refugee and asylum seekers and victims of domestic violence and trafficking) – effective October 1, 2026; (2) Redeterminations for Affordable Care Act (ACA) adults - twice a year (instead of annual)– effective January 1, 2027; (3) New Federal Medicaid Rules require 80 hours per month of work, school, or volunteering effective January 1, 2027. Federal guidance with more specifics expected June 2026. 
• As a result of these changes, 400,000 people in Illinois are estimated to lose coverage, including 20,000 CCH patients. This could result in a $280 M negative impact on CCH’s budget.
• Up to now, even though County Care has one of the highest retention rates for Medicaid managed care plans, between 11 and 14% lose coverage during every redetermination period:  70% due to paperwork/administration issues; 30% due to no longer being eligible.
• Arkansas implemented work requirements in 2018:  18,000 enrollees lost coverage; 97% of those were eligible; and the State spent $26 M to implement before the program was halted by a federal judge after 4 months.
• Provided Update on the Cook County Health Medicaid Impact Workgroup. In September 2025, Cook County Health hosted a cross-sector convening of 60+ health care providers, payers, foundations, academia, advocates, community organizations, business to mitigate harms from H.R.1 eligibility changes. 
• Three sub-groups have been established: Communicate & Educate, Coalition Building, Innovate & Create. CCH is also working with the National Association of Counties (NACo) to scale best practices, learn from other counties, and leverage collective advocacy opportunities 
• Cook County Health created a communications toolkit in 6 languages that provides resources for partners to share. Materials were purposefully left unbranded to allow other orgs to brand, supporting increased use, visibility and trust. 
• Commissioners Lowry and Anaya spoke of the need to elevate the conversation at the state level and the need for a toolkit for Commissioners who will be lobbying state officials. They emphasized the need for coordinated state messaging. Commissioner Lowry will ask for an update from the County’s legislative lobbying team. 
• Commissioners Miller and McCaskill questioned which members (community and academic) from the suburban community were invited to participate in the CCH Medicaid Impact Workgroup. Kathy Chan responded that currently there is no academic representation and one or two community representatives. CCH leadership agreed to work with Commissioners to increase participation from the suburban community. 
• Commissioners Daley and Stamps asked that the newly created communications toolkit be sent to the Commissioners so it can be tied to their outreach events. Both Commissioners emphasized the need for tighter communication between commissioners and the County’s legislative lobbying team.
• In response to questions from Commissioner Daley regarding the Health System impact of the closing of West Suburban Hospital, Dr. Mikaitis said the Health System received 65 to 70 transfers. Dr. Mikaitis announced that Craig Williams, Executive Chief Operating Officer, will be leaving the Health System for a new position.

Dr. Kiran Joshi, head of the Cook County Department of Public Health (CCDPH) provided the quarterly update on COVID-19 and Infectious Diseases (Item 22-3815):

• A judicial order issued in March temporarily blocks changes to federal immunization recommendations. The halts are temporary, pending either a trial or a decision for summary judgment.
• Despite judicial ruling, the U.S. Dept of Health & Human Services published a revised charter for ACIP (Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices) on April 9 which puts greater emphasis on potential harms from vaccines and allows for membership on the Committee beyond past emphasis on expertise in immunization practice.
• COVID-19 vaccination is still recommended and older adults/those at high risk could consider a booster
• Flu and RSV remain low; COVID-19 remains minimal as of 4/4/26
• 2025-26 Free Flu & Covid Vaccination Clinics: Eight events with community organizations plus 22 with the Access Community Health Network held:  1897 vaccines administered. CCDPH is working to move the vaccinations clinics to larger and public spaces for 2027  
• Commissioner Trevor asked about the weight of recommendations for immunizations from professional organizations and the impact on reimbursement from insurance companies. Dr Joshi answered hat the national association of insurance companies has issued a statement that it supports science-based recommendations which in effect indicate support of the professional recommendations. 

Observer: Susan Avila 
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