Legislation and Intergovernmental Relations Committee 
February 4, 2026

Committee Supports State Firearm Legislation and Reviews Annual Board of Ethics Report
The agenda for the meeting included a Resolution in support of The Responsibility in Firearm Legislation (RIFL) Act.  (Item 26-0672). 

• This is legislation that is in the Illinois General Assembly (HB3320/SB2279) and includes provisions to reallocate some of the cost of gun violence to gun manufacturers. 
• During public comment Illinois State Sen. Robert Peters, Dr. Anthony Douglas from the University of Chicago, Jim McGrath speaking on behalf of Indivisible and several others spoke in favor of support for the Resolution and the Legislation. 
• Several Commissioners also spoke in favor of the legislation with Comm. Degnan citing the need to move forward with responsible gun legislation.
• The Resolution was approved and will go before the Cook County Board for final approval at the Feb. 5 meeting.

Jennifer King, the Executive Director for the Department of Human Rights and Ethics, presented highlights from the 2025 Board of Ethics Annual Report that was provided to the Board. 

• The Ethics Board consists of 5 volunteer members and at present there is 1 vacancy.
• The Department has 16 staff members with 2 vacancies. 
• The Department does investigations when complaints are filed and also does ethics training for all county employees. 
• They trained 10,339 employees including those from the Board of Review, the Sheriff’s Office, the President’s office and the Forest Preserve District. 
• They have recently developed new guidance on social media. 
• Posters outlining Prohibited Political Activity have been provided to all offices for posting.
• Will continue to reduce time for response to inquiries. 
• Have continuing opportunities for ongoing training for employees.

No comments or questions from the Commissioners. Report was received and filed. (Item 26-0511)
Observer - Cynthia Schilsky

Cook County Health and Hospitals Committee
February 3, 2026

CCH Reports on Impact of Federal Law

• A. Galeener, CountyCare Chief, presented a PowerPoint reporting on the impacts on the Cook County Health and Hospitals System (CCHHS)  as a result of the Federal H.R. 1 bill signed into law by President Trump on July 4, 2025.  The Impacts are due to changes in Medicaid, SNAP  (Supplemental Nutritional Assistance Program) and other items.  CountyCare H.R.1 internal planning sessions and Cook County Health (CCH) Medicaid Impact Workgroup are working on adjusting to expected loss of some Medicaid members due to work requirements, more frequent eligibility checks, and loss of eligibility for some immigrants.  This is expected to lead to increased charity care.  Cost savings of 100 million dollars is the goal of the Fiscal Resilience Project launched by CCH in December with itemized interventions listed in the PowerPoint. (Item 23-0202)  

Proposed Resolution on CTE:

• The Committee approved a propose resolution supported by numerous Public Speakers and Commissioners that was sponsored by Commissioner Stamps to develop Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy (CTE) damage awareness programs & help facilitate referrals to Concussion Clinics for athletes.  The Resolution also calls on the State and Federal governments to fund research on how the NCAA College Athletics Transfer Portal and “name, image, likeness” payment arrangements at a collegiate level impact CTE.  
• Dr. Joshi, Chief Operating Officer of the Cook County Dept. of Public Health presented a PowerPoint and answered questions, including from Comm. Anaya, Morita and McCaskill.  Comm. McCaskill asked is there concussion diagnosis, mental health screening and surveillance of athletes & education on preventable measures; are there demographics on CTE incidence?   
• Dr. Joshi said IL Youth Sports Concussion Act-2015 covers some of these factors. He would look into adding additional policy.  Highschool concussion rate is overall 14.35% ; among the black population has diminished since 2020 but increased in Hispanic & White students.  Com. Anaya had requested an amendment to the Resolution to include a Public Hearing.   The motion to defer item 26-0649 was adopted.

Observer:  Susan Kern, MD

Asset Management Committee
February 3, 2026

Updated Energy Benchmarking Ordinance Approved

• The Committee approved updating the Energy Benchmarking Ordinance with new definitions and timelines. Energy benchmarking means to track a building's energy and water consumption data, greenhouse gas emissions, and other relevant building information for 12 consecutive months, as required by the benchmarking tool, to quantify the building's energy use operational footprint.  That information is compared to other similar buildings. 
• This ordinance requires that the benchmarking be done on all buildings owned or operated by the County and that a report be given to the Board. (Item 26-0597)
• Commissioner Degnen proposed that the County require this benchmarking for all buildings in Cook County over a certain size, such as 10,000 square feet.   This would give County government a better understanding of the energy consumption in the County and for planning for grid requirements. Jamie Myers, Bureau Chief, said the Department would be interested in working with her on this proposal. 

Observer:  Kathi Graffam


Workforce, Housing & Community Development Committee 
February 3, 2026

Committee Supports Program for Job Training and Tools

• The Committee approved a resolution authorizing $150,000 and a 2 year agreement with Forefront as fiscal agent for Chicagoland Workforce Funders Alliance with emphasis on expanding services to suburban Cook County. (Item 26-0523)
• Commissioners Stamps and Anaya requested more information on outcomes of activities for accountability purposes. 
• Comm. Stamps particularly interested in getting real data about outcomes of job fairs.  She also wanted to make sure there were pathways for people to access secondary and community colleges, and that those entities had involvement in moving people to jobs. 
• Representatives advised that the focus and goal of the program was moving clients to substantial employment and careers. This funding would help expand substantially to suburban Cook.

Observer:  Hollis Burgess


Cook County Board of Commissioners Meeting
February 5, 2026

Board Continues to Hear of Problems Caused by Late Property Tax Bills

The Board either passed or referred to Committees almost all items with little to no discussion, including approving the recommendations from the Committees as detailed above.
Speakers during public comments included;  

• Mayor Michelle Nelson of Flossmoor said that Flossmoor has received only 62% of the estimated property taxes from the County. She pointed out that it had been 52 days since the property taxes were due from property owners and that this was after a 5-month delay in sending out the bills.  Mayor Nelson said that Flossmoor’s reserves had been cut in half and staff time had been diverted to deal with the delay in tax revenues.  She asked that the County commit to more transparency as to when revenues would be received.
• Elliot Esparza of the National Able Network said that the $1.2 M of ARPA funding that the Network received to provide tech education for veterans has worked -  they are getting jobs. 
• Marien Casillas Pabellon of the PASO Suburban Action Network (which works to develop leadership in the immigrant community) urged that the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) not be provided any resources here.  In the 3rd set of new agenda items was a resolution sponsored by Comm. Anaya urging Congress to NOT allocate additional funding to ICE or the Customs & Border Patrol.  This was referred to the Legislation & Intergovt. Relations Committee. (Item 26-0198)

From the 4th Set of New Items

• A resolution to hold a hearing on Chicago’s and Cook County’s workforce preparedness for the adoption of artificial intelligence.  The sponsor, Commissioner Gainer, said that the hearing would be held in the Workforce Committee meeting in March.

Observer:  Priscilla Mims

Cook County Health and Hospitals Committee
January 13,2026
Commissioners Hear Public Health and Disparities Reports
Quarterly Public Health Report

• Dr Kiran Joshi, Chief Operating Officer of the Cook County Department of Public Health presented the quarterly COVID-19, and infectious disease PowerPoint update. The U.S. Center for Disease Control (CDC) announcement made on Jan. 5 now recommends childhood vaccines for fewer diseases with some vaccinations recommended only for some high-risk groups or after consultation with a health care provider: Hepatitis B, RSV, Rotavirus, Hepatitis A, Meningococcal disease, Flu, COVID and the 2nd dose of Human Papillomavirus (HPV). 
• Illinois vaccine recommendations differ from the CDC and will be made by the IL Immunization Advisory Committee.  Insurance companies will pay for them (PA-104-0439 signed into law in December 2025 by Governor Pritzker). 
• The Cook County Department of Public Health will continue to follow Illinois childhood vaccination recommendations. Commissioner Degnen wondered how many parents will follow CDC vs IL vaccination recommendations.   (Item 23-3815)

Semi-annual Disparities Report

• Dr Kalyani Perumal, Chair Division of Nephrology at Cook County Health provided an update on kidney disease/treatment in Cook County.  Risk highest in African Americans, with 3.4 times greater risk, followed by Hispanics with a 1.5 times greater risk than overall population.  9 of 10 adults are unaware of their disease. Ambulatory nephrology care is provided at Stroger/Blue Island/Provident & Core Center as well as renal clinics. 
• Extensive questions from Commissioners.  Com. Stamps: “how do we get the word out, is there a checklist for potential kidney disease?” Response: diabetes and hypertension are primary risk factors. Primary healthcare teams must use screening labs: blood for creatinine and urine for protein. Avoid pain medications that can affect kidney, follow low salt, low fat diet and exercise.  
• Com. Aguilar: “is lack of early detection a part of high incidence of kidney disease in Hispanics?”  Response: kidney disease screening needs to start in high school.  
• Com. Vasquez: “are there plans to expand kidney screening & services to other communities?” Response: yes.  
• Com. Anaya asked about early detection for kidney disease.  Response: screen for family history of kidney disease, diabetes, polycystic kidney disease, hypertension, autoimmune disorders—if present considered “high risk”.  (Item 26-0433)

Observer:  Susan Kern, MD

Finance Committee
January 14, 2026
Preliminary FY2025 Results Show County Finished in the Black

• Syril Thomas, the County Comptroller, reported that on a preliminary cash basis, the County’s General Fund ended Fiscal Year 2025 with a positive $111.3 M, composed of $109.4 M more in revenues than budgeted and $1.9 M lower expenses than budgeted.  The higher revenues were primarily attributed to the County’s sales tax.  Mr. Thomas also reported that on a preliminary, cash basis the Health Fund ended FY2025 with a positive $81.6 M, composed of lower than budgeted revenues of $239.6 M, but lower than budgeted expenses of $321.2 M.  The Federal government cancelled $4 M in grants to the County. (Item 26-0585)
• Cook County Health provided a report for FY2025 on an accrual basis, which is deemed more accurate than cash.  That reflects an overall positive result of $82 M, with lower revenues than budgeted of $240M, primarily due to decreases in Medicaid enrollment and the resulting increase in charity care as a result of Illinois no longer covering some non-citizens.  However, actual expenses were $321 M less than budgeted, primarily due to staff vacancies and a reduced use of contract labor.  $3 M of the total $4 M in Federal grants that were cancelled impacted the Health Fund.  (Item 26-0583)
• The Finance Committee approved a county-wide contract with Lexis Nexis Vital Check Network to process payments to the County made with credit or debit cards across all offices from Feb. 1, 2026 thru Jan. 31, 2031.  Zahra Ali, the Chief Administrative Officer, said that the Dept of Revenue will cover all costs in its budget, but that overall, the County expects to bring in more revenues by allowing payments via credit and debit cards.  (item 26-0220)

Observer:  Priscilla Mims

Audit Committee
January 14, 2026
2026 Audit Plan Approved

• Heath Wolfe, the County (internal) Auditor,  outlined the plan for audits during 2026 for Cook County Government and the Forest Preserve. This item had been deferred. Audit will utilize outside auditors for IT security audits, so more audits can be performed.
• Commissioner Gainer asked if the County needs to be prepared if the Federal Government investigates the County’s use of ARPA funds. She asked what percent of the $1.4 B in programs has been reviewed or audited, and is there an industry standard for number of audits for that amount of money.  Mr. Wolfe was not aware of a standard but would reach out to industry organizations for guidelines.  He also will provide the commissioners with the number of ARPA reviews and audits that have been done.
• Another issue is the Audit department staffing. Mr. Wolfe was hired 6 months ago. There are currently 9 openings and 23 filled positions.  There are three offers out on the openings. Mr. Wolfe has worked on the staffing.  Several job descriptions had to be rewritten.  He is utilizing industry job posting sites and his connections from previous positions.  Commissioner Gainer recommended using outside auditors to ensure good coverage of ARPA funds if necessary.  There will be a review of staffing after 3 months.  She recommended coming back to the Board for additional funds if indicated.  
• The audit plan was approved.  (Item 25-4392)

Observer:  Kathi Graffam

Cook County Environmental & Sustainability Committee
January 14, 2026
Committee Reviews Environmental Justice Policy Framework Report

• The Environmental Justice policy framework started in 2019, involved a team including community voices.  Many public events were scheduled in order to include and engage multiple communities. 
• From the research informing the report, common themes are (1) Air quality (inconsistent monitoring and industrial emissions); (2) Water and flooding (lead contamination); (3) Climate resiience; (4) Green space and food access (increased tree planting); (5) Community engagement (education for youth and multilingual engagement); (6) Policy implementation; and (7) Other (utility costs).
• There were very few responses opposed to the county developing an environmental justice policy. 

What is next:

• Hire additional environmental justice staff
• More active engagement

Couple of notes:

• New hire: Tiffany Davis, Sr. Environmental Justice Specialist, from Colorado 
• Environmental justice public policy intersects with public health.
• The federal government declined the state’s request for federal funding for disaster relief related to the recent flooding. 

Observer:  Laura Davis 

Asset Management  Committee
Jan. 13, 2026
Contract to Analyze Preservation/Adaptive Reuse at Oak Forest Approved

• The Real Estate Department requested additional funds for the project that is evaluating if existing buildings on the Oak Forest Campus could be preserved and reused for County services.   The initial investigation identified 9 buildings that could be reused, with a potential savings of $61 M.   This request is to further analyze the potential use of those buildings.
• Commissioner Britten asked that the analysis include the potential revenue to the County by selling the buildings rather than rehabbing them.    
• The project was approved. (Item 26-0030)

Observer:  Kathi Graffam

Legislation and Intergovernmental Relations Committee
January 14, 2026
Committee Approves Appointments

• The Committee approved the appointment of 5 individuals to the Cook County Housing Authority Board. All appeared either in person or on Zoom and all had many years of various types of experience in Affordable Housing including finance, development, land use, and law.  
• The Committee also approved the appointment of 3 individuals to the Cook County Emergency System Telephone Board. Two of the three appeared online and both had law enforcement and emergency phone system experience. 
• Commissioners had no questions but did extend thanks for their willingness to serve on these volunteer boards.
• Appointments will be voted on by Cook County Board at their next meeting.

Observer - Cynthia Schilsky

Cook County Board of Commissioners Committee Meetings
December 16 & 17, 2025

Technology and Innovation Committee
December 17, 2025

Committee Focuses on Delays in Distributing Tax Dollars
During public comments, the Committee heard from several taxing bodies (school districts, south suburban municipalities) regarding their difficult financial situation due to delayed distribution of property tax revenues collected by the County.  The collection of these revenues was already delayed by several months due to the delay with the 2nd installment tax bills.

• The Treasurer’s staff reported that with respect to disbursements of tax revenue, there are still 9 open issues with Tyler Technologies that are being actively worked, and as soon as those issues are fully resolved, disbursements can begin.  
• Treasurer’s staff declined to give an estimate as to when the issues will be resolved, given past experience with Tyler.

The Committee separately approved:

• A one year $1.5M contract extension with GuideHouse, which provides overall project management for the tax system that Tyler is implementing.  If this project comes to completion within the year, the entire $1.5M may not be expended. There was some discussion regarding bringing project management totally within house, however this would require additional county staffing.
• A five-year renewal of the existing sole-source contract with WorkForce Software, that provides time and attendance systems.  There was some discussion of subcontracting by WorkForce consistent with the County’s diversity requirements.  However, as a sole source contract, this can be recommended by the County but not required.

Observer: Ed Spire

Health & Hospitals Committee
December 16, 2025

Public Health Department Reports on Behavioral Health Unit
Public Health Department Chief Operating Officer Dr. Kiran Yoshi and Behavior Health Director Hanna Kite gave the presentation and stated that Federal American Rescue Plan Act funds allowed the Cook County Department of Public Health (CCDPH) to significantly expand the behavioral health unit.   They also said the department will increase its focus on chronic disease prevention and maternal and child behavioral health starting in the first quarter of 2026.

Key information from the presentation, which can be found at 
https://cookcountyhealth.org/wp-content/uploads/Item-VIIIA-Quarterly-Report-from-CCDPH-11-21-25.pdf:
Mental Health & Positive Youth Development:  

• The Department of Public Health supports 27 funded partners to promote social and emotional learning and mentorship, including Big Brother/Big Sisters. 88% of Southland youth-engaged in that program said that they increased self-regulation and emotional management.  Other partners, Latina Women’s Support Group and Queer Prom, create safe spaces.  Other partners provide mental health and treatment education via telehealth sessions for youth and hosting sessions on executive functioning for both teens and parents

Suicide Prevention
15% (16,540) South Suburban high school students reported having seriously considered attempting suicide in 2022, and Hispanic residents suicide death rates nearly doubled between 2018-2023 in South Suburban Cook County. Prevention efforts include:

• Identify and support people at risk via 9-8-8 phone line and Mobile Crisis Response 
• Improve access and delivery of care.  Held focus groups with community members and providers as part of a strength and needs assessment.
• Promote healthy connections and create systems for ongoing aftercare
• Produce in-depth data and analysis to drive and support action

Opioid and Substance Use Prevention

• Since December 2020, over 186 naloxone doses distributed by CCDPH and partners have been used to combat overdoses. In 2025, billboard and other types of signs have been posted throughout key areas of the County.  1.4 million video views and 86,293 website clicks reported between August and October 2025 for the Get Naloxone ad campaign.  
• The CCDPH provides free training on how to recognize and respond to opioid-involved overdoses and produces analysis of opioid risk factors, root causes, and opportunities to influence policy and systems changes.
• In 2026, CCPHD will focus on more input from youth and supporting the creation of a more equitable crisis care system.

Commissioner Comments and Questions

• Overall, the Commissioners were very complimentary of the presentation and the department’s efforts.  However, there was a very robust discussion on the real problems in the districts and the lack of resources available when Commissioners call for specific help.  
• Com. Moore stated that their offices need help and want a partnership with the CCDPH.  He wants a “general” phone number for each of the districts to call.  Aguilar agrees with Moore on partnership.
• Com. Stamps commented on her district’s collaboration with the CCDPH on behavioral health issues and looks forward to its expansion to other Commissioner’s districts.  She also said that there is a disconnect between what we know exists and what we are financing.
• When asked, Dr. Joshi said that there is no evidence that the use of Naloxone leads to a rise in drug use but it does alleviate death.  Nationally, opioid overdose deaths are decreasing.
• Com. Kevin Morrison noted that the highest concentration of overdose deaths is on the west side and said he is hoping CCDPH will continue to expand youth outreach. 
• Com. Degnan stated there will need to be a line of funding from the state to increase services.
• Com. Trevor is concerned that the closure of hospital mental health units and the shrinking number of inpatient beds is making it harder for families to be involved.  She noted that there is a higher rate of suicide injuries among girls than boys.  Separately, she noted that the report states that boys are more likely to use firearms than girls in attempting suicide.  Dr. Joshi noted both of these are long-standing trends and that if a person owns a gun, he is much more likely to harm himself that someone else.

Observer:  Diane Edmundson

Finance Subcommittee on Litigation
December 17, 2025

Inspector General Reports on PPP Loan Investigations
Tirrell Paxton, Cook County Inspector General (IG), reported on the 3rd Quarter Report issued October 15, 2025 from the Office of the Independent Inspector General (OIIG) to the Subcommittee, with much of the attention focused on the investigations of fraud regarding the Federal government’s Payroll Protection Plan (PPP) loans made during Covid to County employees.

• The OIIG has closed 293 investigations of PPP loans, covering over $2 M dollars over the years, including 6 in the 3rd Quarter Report.  The OIIG found substantial evidence of fraud in 82 cases.  Of the others, some have been referred to other entities or the employees resigned, which ended the investigations prior to conclusion.  
• In response to questions from Commissioner Sean Morrison, the IG confirmed that all sustained cases have been referred for possible prosecution by either the U.S. Attorney or the Cook County State’s Attorney.  
• The IG also stated that other PPP cases involving employees of the Sheriff and the Clerk of the Circuit Court were being handled directly by those offices (with some assistance by the OIIG), and are not part of the 293 the OIIG has closed.  Comm. S. Morrison asked Chair Britton to inquire of those offices about those cases and report to the Subcommittee.  Comm. S. Morrison stressed that fraud by County employees needs to be prosecuted.
• The IG also reported that the OIIG has received 226 complaints during the 3rd quarter, with 62 of those being referred to management or outside entities for further processing.  There are 5 matters under investigation.  16 investigations were concluded in the 3rd quarter and are summarized in the Report, along with 8 from the prior quarter.
• The Report was received and filed.  (Item 25-4147)

Observers:  Hollis Burgess and Priscilla Mims

Audit Committee
December 17, 2025

County Auditor Reports on Past Open Recommendations and Audit Plans for 2026

• Auditor Heath Wolfe reported on open recommendations from audits as of October 2025.    Representatives from the six departments with open recommendations told the Board that they were in agreement with the findings and were working on changes to policies and systems. Five departments said the findings would be resolved by first quarter of 2026. The Animal Control department was still negotiating with its system vendor on the needed changes, so could not give a finish date. Commissioner Degnen encouraged them to have it done within six months.  The report was received and filed (Item 25-4368).
• Mr. Wolfe outlined the plan for audits during 2026 for Cook County Government and the Forest Preserve. The audits will focus on basics:  are we paying the right people at the right time for the right amount.  The Audit Dept. will utilize outside auditors for IT security audits, so more audits can be performed.  The Item (25-4392) was deferred because it included two government entities.   It will be rewritten and submitted next month.
• Mr. Wolfe  presented a report the review of the ARPA project, Gun Crimes Strategy, administered by the State’s Attorney Office. The audit found that the monitoring process was adequate and the funds were being used as intended. The report was received and filed (Item 25-4399).

Observer:  Kathi Graffam

Cook County Board Finance Committee Meeting
October 27, 2025

Bureau of Finance/ Budget Overview
Proposed 2026 Budget:  $10.01 Billion    Proposed 2026 Positions:            23.624.2
Actual 2025 Budget:       $  9.94 Billion    Actual 2025 Approved Positions: 23,541.5
Difference:           +$ 0.07 Billion    Difference:                       +82.7

General Fund (GF)

• Proposed Fiscal Year 2026 GF expenditures is $2.67B and includes closing the preliminary budget gap of $102.6M
• 83 FTE increase proposed; 64% of budget is allocated to payroll and benefit expenses
• Revenue, including Sales Tax, State subsidy, and $30M of Chicago TIF revenue, are expected to increase despite decreased property tax allocation to GF (more $ to Cook County Health and Election Fund)
• Starting to receive notice of Federal grants being reduced or eliminated;  Department of Energy grant of $2.1 M and $1.7M Emergency Management and Regional Security grant 
• Commissioner Miller recommended that all contracts over $5 M include a penalty for underperformance 

Health Enterprise Fund (Commissioners were generally asked to direct their questions on this Fund to Cook County Health during its Budget meeting)

• Closed preliminary budget gap of $108.8M through re-forecasting revenues and 10% expense reductions
• 110 FTE increase proposed to absorb existing positions from ARPA programs, from some programs previously covered by Special Purpose Funds, and grants
• Federal grants $315M appropriated, mostly over several years

Special Purpose Funds – some of the major funds and expenditures include

• $33.5M allocated to Equity Fund per the  FY2026 Fourth Installment Plan recently approved by the Board: no additional revenues to be allocated in FY2026
• Opioid Remediation and Abatement fund - $4M
• Infrastructure and Equipment: $15M for solar panels ($40M total in 2025-2029) expected to bring $18M rebate from Federal Government when completed
• $4.6M to procure new digital evidence management solution
• $65M allocated to a newly created Grant Risk Mitigation Fund from unspent 2025 monies.  This is to be used in the event of a loss of federal grant funds

The County is also looking to continue to fund 11 programs beyond 2026 that have been funded by the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) through 2026.  Plans are to fund fully in 2027 and then either reduce funding and the scope of the programs or find other sources to continue to fully fund.

Offices under the President
Proposed 2026 Budget:  $1.718 Billion    Proposed 2026 Positions:                2,075.1
Actual 2025 Budget:       $1.830 Billion    Actual 2025 Approved Positions:     2,063.1
Difference:                     ($0.112 Billion)    Difference:                 +12.0 

Overview

• Total budget is 14.9% of County’s total budget of $10.01B
• Funding Sources: Special Purpose, Capital, General Funds and Grants

General Fund

• $283.9M, 74.7% for 2,075 FTEs’ salary/benefits, increase of 12 FTEs 
• Reduced vacancy rate by 6.2% in FY2025 (currently 16.2%)

​Observer - Sue Gregory

Cook County Finance Committee Meeting and 
Cook County Special Board Meeting
November 20, 2025

After approving 15 amendments to the proposed Budget, the Cook County Board unanimously passed the FY2026 Budget.  The final budget increased by $105 M, resulting in a total budget of $10,118,825,966.  

The Amendments adding amounts to the budget are:

• $57.3 M was added to the spending under Special Purpose Funds, reducing the fund balances of those Special Purpose Funds to support that increase. (Amend. #3)
• Additional grants totaling $21M were added.  (Amend. #4)
• The Capital Budget was increased by $9 M by shifting funds within the capital accounts. (Amend. #5)
• Utilizing the City of Chicago’s proposed declaration of a Tax Increment Financing surplus, $19.9 M was added to the General Fund (Amend. #6) and then utilized to add that amount to the Chief Judge’s budget:  $5.8 M for court-based rental assistance; $4.1 M for homeless services; and $10 M for food access.  However, all of this is contingent on the County actually getting $19.9 M from Chicago, and the individual line item additions will be reduced as necessary to reflect what is actually received. (Amend. #7)

Amendment #2 reduced the overall budget by reducing the Health Enterprise Fund revenues and, accordingly, the proposed expenditures, by $1.5 M.

The remaining Amendments balanced proposed additional expenditures by like amounts of reductions, so each netted out to a $0 impact:

• A technical amendment to the General Fund making corrections.  Those corrections included the cost-of-living increases for the Elected Officials that should have been included in the proposed budget. (Amend. #1)
• A reallocation within the Health Enterprise Fund of $500,000 for the Dept. of Public Health to hold community forums in 6 Commissioner districts for youth and young adults to help them deal with mental stresses and direct them to services.  The measurements for success are the numbers of events hosted, people attending, and referrals to social services, along with testimonials. (Amend. # 8)
• A reallocation of funds within the budget of the Chief Judge to add positions for Court Administrator, 2  Asst Court Administrators, Chief of Staff, and 2 Asst. Chiefs of Staff for Operations and Policy. (Amend. #9)
• Reduction of 2 vacant positions within the Chief Judge’s office to add 2 Court Interpreters.  (Amend. #10)
• Reducing some budget entries to add 8 Victim Specialists for domestic violence within the State’s Attorney’s Office.  This should result in a reduction in caseload per Specialist from 410 to 310. (Amend. #11)
• Reducing some budget entries to add 6 MIS positions to the State’s Attorney’s Office.  (Amend. #12)
• Reducing some budget entries to add 10 positions in the State’s Attorney’s office to create an in-house forensics unit which are critical to operationalizing the new Digital Evidence Management System, which is a $4 M capital expenditure within the budget. (Amend. #13)
• Reducing some budget entries to add a glazier to the Dept. of Facilities Management. (Amend. #14)
• A reduction in the Land Bank’s allowance for delinquent taxes to increase the salary of the Executive Director by $12,839.

At the conclusion of the Finance Committee and then the Special Board meetings, the President and Commissioners gave many thanks to the County staff at all levels.

• Commissioner Sean Morrison, who said that as the lone Republican, he was proud to support this budget which he said is a truly balanced budget, unlike some other government entities’ budgets.  He also said that this budget reflects many decisions that have been made over the last 10 years, including the decisions to make extra payments to the pension accounts and to refinance debt at lower rates.
• President Preckwinkle stressed that this budget resulted in no new taxes or fees and no reduction in services.  Picking up from Comm. Morrison’s comment, she thanked Commissioners Daley and Moore who 10 years ago took the hard vote to raise the sales tax that allowed for those extra pension payments.
• Commissioner Daley pointed out that the County has not raised its property tax levy since 1994.

Observer:  Priscilla Mims

Cook County Board of Commissioners Committee Meetings  
Nov. 18 & 19, 2025

Criminal Justice Committee
November 19, 2025

​Commissioners Approve Chicago-Cook County Violence Against Women Task Force

• With the Chicago City Council approving a companion resolution last week, the Committee voted to approve the creation of a Chicago-Cook County Violence against Women Task Force. (item 25-4095)
• The Taks Force is charged with providing recommendations to the City and County by July 1, 2026 for addressing domestic violence, which has had a huge surge in reported incidents over the past several years.
• Besides representatives from the County’s criminal justice officials, Commissioners Miller, Anaya, Degnen, and Gainer were appointed to the Task Force from the County’s side. Comm. Miller was the lead sponsor, and she said that this Task Force is an outgrowth of this Committee’s hearing last July during which many problems with the current government systems were identified.  

Observer:  Priscilla Mims

Finance Committee
November 19, 2025

Finance Approves Up to $10.53 M to House Those on Electronic Monitoring with No Place to Go
The Committee voted to approve

• 5 items from the Justice Advisory Commission to provide housing and some additional services for those ordered to pretrial detention on electronic monitoring at fees ranging from $136 to $200 per night.  County only pays per night fees when people are actually housed. Placements at the different facilities are offered to those who have no place to stay.  (items 25-3544, -3545, -3546, -3547, and -3548)
• Grants totaling $2.3 M (with $100,000 remaining to provide additional support) to 5 community financial institutions to assist them in doing small business lending.  Funding for this program is from the Equity Fund.  In response to questions from Comm. Anaya, the 5 institutions were selected by an external panel of experts from a group of 10 after a Request for Qualification (RFQ) process resulted in 15 responses, of which 10 were found by the Bureau of Economic Development to have met the requirements.  Comm. Anaya asked that in the future, Commissioners be notified of similar RFQs.  (item 25-3953)

The Comptroller reported that through Sept. 30 

• The County’s General Fund has a net favorable balance of $123 M and, on a cash basis, the Health Enterprise Fund has an unfavorable balance of $33.7 M.  The State of Illinois owes the County $98 M, but that amount is trending downward.  
• In response to a question from Comm. Sean Morrison, CFO Tanya Anthony said that there has been $1.2M in reduced Federal funding to date.  Comm. Morrison and Chair Daley asked that future monthly reports identify any loss of Federal funding. 

Observer:  Priscilla Mims

Legislative and Intergovernmental Relations Committee
November 19, 2025

Committee Extends Incentives for Landmark Buildings
Two ordinances dealing with the extension of tax incentives for certain classifications of property were approved by the Committee.

• The first ordinance amendment was an extension of classification incentives that were due to expire at the end of this year and extends the time frame until 2027. (Agenda Item 25-4178)
• The second amendment was for incentive renewal of Class L buildings. A representative from the Assessor’s office stated that this will allow for buildings with landmark status to continue to receive the incentive if certain parameters are met and municipalities agree with the extension of the incentive. (Agenda Item 25-4220)
• During public comment Ward Miller from Preservation Chicago and Kendra Parsons from Landmarks Illinois both spoke in support of renewing the incentives as they were important for restoration of landmark buildings. A representative from a Cultural Arts Center in Oak Park also spoke about how important an incentive was for allowing renovation of their landmark building so they now are able to provide free meeting space to the community. 
• Comm. Sean Morrison asked how long an exemption would be granted if renewed and the Assessor’s representative stated it would be for the same term as the original exemption was granted - mostly that is 12 years. He then stated that while he does support incentives as they are important for economic development he does caution that incentives should not be long term commitments. They are meant to provide owners a tax break to allow them to invest in properties so that they become economically viable and when they are they should no longer need the tax break.

Observer - Cynthia Schilsky

Asset Management Committee  
November 18, 2025

Commissioners Approve Purchase of 2 Buildings

• James Essex, Director of Real Estate Management, presented two proposals to buy buildings in which Cook County is leasing a major portion.   The department did the calculations on the cost of purchasing versus long term rental and determined these purchases will save the County money.
• The Commissioners approved both purchases.   The first was a building in Maywood currently occupied by the Sheriff and the Clerk of the Court (Item 25-4100).  The second was in Arlington Heights, currently occupied by County Health Services (Item 23-4101).

Observer:  Kathi Graffam

Audit Committee    
November 19, 2025

Audit Finds Compliance with ARPA Requirements

• Heath Wolfe, County Auditor, presented a report of a review the Audit Department did on an ARPA project. The Rain Ready Plan is implementing green infrastructure projects to control rainwater in flood prone areas.   Mr. Wolfe explained that these reviews of ARPA projects are not audits; but to check that the projects are in compliance with ARPA requirements, and to suggest any needed management corrections.  They found that the monitoring process was adequate and the funds were being used as intended. (Item 25-4148).

Observer:  Kathi Graffam