League of Women Voters of Cook County
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Cook County and MWRD 
​ Governments  Group

Topics of Focus

  • Cook County and Metropolitan Water Reclamation District ("MWRD") government organization and oversight, including the independent inspector general, ethics, and compliance with Shakman decision principles
  • Transparency and effectiveness of board operations
  • Observing/reporting  and assessing  budget processes ​

Activities

  • Meetings are held as needed for the Interest Group to discuss and plan, generally monthly.
  • Communication with elected officials is through emails, letters and meetings as needed.
  • See the Budget & Structure Annual Reports for 2021-2022 for Cook County and MWRD.

Publications & Additional Resources

The Saga of the LWVCC’s Budget & Structure Interest Group: Successes Include Elimination of County Recorder of Deeds Office - Read the full story of League involvement in this process.

5 Fast Facts Voters Should Know about Cook County's Budget & Structure

  1. Cook County has 5.17 million people, the second largest county in the U.S.
  2. Cook County is governed by a 17-member Board, elected by district every 4 years, plus 10 other “executive” officials, most of whom are elected county-wide for 4-year terms:  President, Assessor, Clerk of the Court, County Clerk, Sheriff, State’s Attorney, Treasurer, and 3 members of the Board of Review elected by district.
  3. The 2023 budget is $8.79 billion, which includes a total Operating Budget of $7.25 B:  56% is for healthcare; 21% is for public safety; and the remaining 22% covers other government functions (e.g., economic development, elections, finance and administration,  property assessments and recording) plus such costs as annuity & benefits and debt payments.
  4. The Revenues of $8.79 B includes $3.8 for health care (Medicaid and other sources )equal to 43.4%; sales tax of $1.1 B provides 12%; and property taxes of $809 M provide 9.2%. The base property tax levy of $720.4 million has not risen since 1996. In 2023 the County is using $291.4 M of the total ARPA funds received from the Federal government of about $1 B.
  5. Cook County has about 23,760 employees.  www.cookcountyil.gov
Five Fast Facts Voters should know about the MWRD's Budget & Structure
  1.  The MWRD’s area encompasses almost all of Cook County including Chicago, and it serves 129 communities.  It treats over 1.4 billion gallons of wastewater per day – with a capacity of up to 2 billion gallons at its seven treatment plants.
  2. It is also responsible for stormwater management and flood control through proper watershed regulations, watershed planning and local and regional projects including:  massive reservoirs, miles of stream improvements, underground detention [aka “Deep Tunnel”], permeable parking lots, alleys, and schoolyards, and the removal of thousands of yards of debris from local streams.
  3. The District is governed by a Board of nine Commissioners elected District-wide with six-year staggered terms.  An Executive Director, chosen by the Board, manages the day-to-day operations.
  4. The 2023 budget is $1.624 billion with $679 million coming from property taxes. The Stormwater budget increased by $33 million to $129 million. 
  5. Of the 1,957 FTE’s, 100 are allocated to the Stormwater budget.​ www.mwrd.org

Learn More

For more information contact Pris Mims
LEAGUE OF WOMEN VOTERS OF COOK COUNTY
332 S. Michigan Ave., Suite 634
Chicago, IL 60604

312/939-5935 x 127
info@lwvcookcounty.org
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  • Home
  • About
    • LWVCC Interest Groups >
      • Cook County & MWRD Group
      • Criminal Justice
      • Cook County Health
      • Forest Preserve Interest Group
    • LWVCC Positions
    • LWVCC Action and Testimony
    • LWVCC Activities
    • Archived Newsletters
  • Observer Reports
    • Cook County Board Observer Reports
    • MWRD Board Observer Reports
    • CCH Board Observer Reports
    • Forest Preserve Board Observer Reports
  • Voter Info
  • Cook County Gov. Contacts
    • Cook County Board
    • Forest Preserve Board
    • Cook County Elected Officials
    • MWRD Board
    • Cook County Health Board