Cook County Board and Finance Committee Meetings
November 18, 2021

Prior to the Board meeting at which the budget was unanimously passed, the Finance Committee met and unanimously passed all proposed 19 amendments, which added $72.7 Million to the original $8.08 B proposal from President Preckwinkle.  Following are the main changes (most of which do not add any additional amounts to the total budget, but simply reallocate money):

• Amendments 6 and 7 moved some dollars around to fund the costs under the Office of the Chief Judge to provide 24/7 court operations for Domestic Violence court proceedings as of April 1, 2022.  This increase in court services is the response to recommendations from the Cook County Commission on Women’s Issues, the urging of a number of entities involved providing services to those impacted by domestic violence that came to the fore in July, and the active encouragement of the President and Commissioners.  The Sheriff and the Clerk of the Court both said that they could provide the necessary staffing from their areas within their proposed budgets.
• A revision of the turnover adjustment in the Office of the Chief Judge will be used to fund an increase in jury pay from $14.50 to $30.00/d plus an increase in the travel stipend from $2.70 to $5/d.  Similarly, another revision to the turnover adjustment will provide the funding to increase the rates of compensation for outside legal representation of indigents.  Both of these changes will be effective as of June 1, 2022.
• $30 M will be transferred from the County’s General Fund’s reserves to establish reserve for the Health Plan Services Fund.
• $68.8 M were added to the listing of the grants awarded to the County, $3.4 M were added to the capital projects.
• Utilizing $1.4 M from American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) monies, 17 positions were added to the Offices under the President to assist with workforce development, policy analysis, facility management, and contract compliance in connection with the programs to be funded by ARPA.

In the only public comments at the Board meeting, the Civic Federation expressed its support for the proposed budget, praising the President and Board for all the steps they have taken over the years to 

• create a healthy fund balance, 
• keep control of the County’s debt, 
• shore up the pension funding, and 
• do long-range planning.  

The Civic Federation did urge that the Board seek an update on what the goals are for the use of Provident Hospital and that the Board, whose members also make up the Board of the Cook County Forest Preserve, though it is a separate government entity, have a plan to deal with the Forest Preserve should the November 2022 referendum not pass.

Observer - Priscilla Mims

Cook County Board of Commissioners Meeting
November 4, 2021

Board Action:
The RTA (which includes the CTA, PACE and Metra) presented their 2022 budgets to the Cook County Board  for their information as required by law. The Board received and filed the reports.

• $3.4B budget for the entirety of the RTA, up 4.6% over pre-Covid estimates. Ridership has been down nearly 50% since March 2020. Due to lost revenue from riders, the budget has been made possible by three Federal Covid relief grants. (Agenda Item 21-5973)
• Cook County has implemented a Fair Transit Pilot, and is going to look at the results in the next 6-12 months.
• Comm. Degnen pressed the RTA leadership for a more concrete plan for the electrification of the bus fleet.  
• City Transit Authority (CTA) spoke of their five year plan for capital improvements. This includes a blue line rebuild, improvements in Austin, rail improvements, and a red line extension for the south side. They are working towards electrifying the entire fleet by 2040. Again, Comm. Degnen asked for a plan and budget for implementation. Since January, ridership has nearly doubled, but the CTA still has a $160M deficit in its operational budget. (21-5974)
• The Metra director presented their $900M operational cost budget. There will be no fair increase for 2022, but ridership is at 80% of pre-pandemic levels. Their 2022 budget includes cautious assumptions about ridership in 2022. (21-5976)

Commissioners approved an ordinance amendment designating firearm and ammunition tax revenues for gun violence prevention programs. Cook County, pursuant to its home rule powers, implemented a tax on firearms and ammunition to curb the cost of gun violence. (Agenda Item 21-6225)

• The City of Chicago has released information stating that the number of gunshot victims has increased 10% compared to 2020, and increased 70% compared to the same time period in 2019. 
• Comm. Sean Morrison spoke against approving the ordinance, explaining that the Supreme Court of Illinois has already overthrown the existing gun tax based on the wording of the bill, and confusion over how the money would be spent. He stated that it violates the uniformity clause, the uniform collection of federal taxes. 
• The motion carried, notwithstanding the division. Comm. S. Morrison and Comm. Sylvestri voted against approval. 

The Board Referred:

• Commissioners referred to the Legislation Committee a resolution “Urging the Illinois State Legislature to pass House Bill 4176 to provide to Cook County Police Chiefs local law enforcement override of a felony rejection or a designation of a felony as a continuing investigation by the Cook County State’s Attorney."(Agenda Item 21-6219)

Observer: Amber L Elmer                                                     Meeting Length: 4 hours 40 minutes

Cook County Board of Commissioners Meeting
September 23, 2021

The Board Approved:

• The Covid Relief Report sparked some discussion on expenditures related to the Coronavirus Relief Funds, specifically the $6.8M increase in payment to Guidehouse, a consulting firm helping Cook County secure new funding for Covid Relief, apply for grants, compliance, and project management. Commissioners requested follow up with quantifiable metrics on how this increase in funds will be used. (Agenda Item 21-5298)
• Approved grant amendment for the Cook County Housing Coordination & Evaluation Foundation. An increase of $216,496 was granted for FY2021, and commissioners asked for an evaluation of the impact of this program. (21-4836)
• All the items recommended by the Committees were approved, including the new Commissioner district maps for the 2022 elections (see the Observer Report on the Committee Meetings of Sept. 20, 21, and 22)
• The Board approved the Cook County Health and Hospital System preliminary budget of the FY2021, which will be included in President’s budget expected to be presented for review by the CCB in October. (21-0797)
• The Board approved the item Calling for a Review and Recommendation regarding Elected Official Compensation, including President ($170,000), Finance Chair ($90,000), Commissioners ($85,000), Assessor ($125,000), Board of Review ($100,000), Clerk ($105,000), Treasurer ($105,000), Sheriff ($160,000), Clerk of the Circuit Court ($105,000).  Bureau of Human Resources to do a study and make a recommendation no later than March 2022 to the Board as to whether there should be changes in the compensation listed above which was approved in 2000.  Any such increase to be effective with the next fiscal year in 2023 after the election for these offices, except for the Clerk of the Circuit Court, which will be effective in fiscal year 2025 because that office isn’t up for election until Nov. 2024. The current salaries of the Elected County Officials were last approved in 2000. Also, any increase in salaries will not be effective until after the next election. (21-5228)
• The Board approved changing the appointments of the Juvenile Temporary Detention Center Advisory Board from being split between the Chief Judge and the Cook County Board President to the President appointing all 11 (10 plus a Commissioner) with the advice and consent of the Board. (21-5279)

Domestic Violence Court:

• As a follow-up to the discussion at the July 29 Board meeting, Commissioner Daley asked the representative for the Chief Judge what progress had been made in making it possible for orders of protection to be granted that same day to those seeking help from the Domestic Violence Court after 3 pm.
• The representative said that currently, a petition emailed to the Court prior to 3 pm, will be heard that day.  If the person goes in person to the court during the hours the Clerk of the Court is there, the petition will be heard that day.  Also, people can go to any district courthouse, and not just the Domestic Violence Court.
• As of Oct. 12, the plan is to have a judge available 24/7 to hear petitions for orders of protection.  Currently, there are judges who are available for probable cause orders in criminal cases around the clock.  These judges would be cross-trained to also handle orders of protection, and some Domestic Violence Court judges would be added to the schedule and would be cross-trained for probable cause orders.  Finalizing this plan is subject to getting confirmation from the Clerk of the Court, who is currently short-handed.
• Several Commissioners expressed disappointment that things weren't further along and stressed how important this issue is and asked that the Board be kept informed.

The Board Referred:

• Proposed resolution going to the Health & Hospitals Committee declaring mental health a public health crisis. CCH and Public Health to work with others to increase awareness of services, increase funding through the Justice Advisory Council, increase access to inpatient and outpatient services, work with marginalized populations, advocate for relevant policies, and support local, State, and Federal programs. Comm. Morrison proposed speaking with and lobbying state representatives and the Governor so they take this up as well. (21-5290)

Public Comments:

• There were 214 written statements submitted to the CCB and 25 virtual speakers scheduled to testify. The first several public comments regarded flooding issues in LaGrange, Cicero, and the greater Cook County area. Citizens are asking Cook County for financial support for flood damage prevention.
• Several speakers spoke for, and one against, officially changing Columbus Day to Indigenous People’s Day in Cook County.

Observer - Amber L Elmer                                    Meeting Length: 4 hours 27 minutes

Cook County Board of Directors Committee Meetings
Health & Hospital Committee
November 2, 2021

Cook County Department of Public Health [CCDPH]:

• Public Health officials gave their monthly update on Covid-19 status and issues.  They reported that 98% of the CC Care Team has been vaccinated, and they are in the midst of preparing for the rollout of the Pfizer vaccinations for 5-11 year olds. Frontline efforts will be at schools and medical providers’ offices. CCDPH has established between 150-200 partners to give vaccinations.  CVS, Walgreens, and the smaller federally funded Health Centers are among that number.
• The Health Department is beginning to incorporate the census 2020 data into its Covid data – they now have 2020 census data on population by race and ethnicity and reported that with this incorporation, case rates for whites have increased, Hispanics has decreased, and there is no change for the African American community.  
• The State has agreed to extend its county grant for contact tracing into 2022.
• When asked about the reason that the undocumented have a hesitancy to take the vaccine, the answers given was:  1. No health care provider 2. Many are very young and didn’t qualify initially  

Mental Health Initiatives/Statistics - Quarterly Reports from Cook County Offices

• The Cook County Board of Commissioners passed a resolution a number of months ago requiring that all County offices dealing with mental health patients, detainees, etc. provide a quarterly report on their actions and activities regarding mental health services. 
• Eight offices provided their quarterly report at this meeting. Those reporting were: CC Health, CC Department of Public Health, Cermac Health Center, Juvenile Temporary Detention Center, Sheriff’s Office, Chief Judges Office, Office of Veterans Affairs, State's Attorney Office. and the Office of the Public Defender.
• One provided a verbal report. There does not appear to be a standard format for providing information the board is interested in receiving.  However, the program is new
• Not all of the offices provide mental health services.  For example, the Public Defender’s office provides information to their lawyers for their clients.  Others are referral only.

Observer:  Diane Edmundson

Cook County Board Committee Meetings
November 3, 2021

Technology and Innovation Committee:

• A presentation and request by Illinois Smart City & Region Association (ISCRA) to ask commissioners to contact mayors in their districts to join ISCRA for better coordination and education on the various technologies available to them.  ISCRA found that 70% of Cook County municipalities do not have a technology plan and are often prevented by lack of knowledge and fear of taking on a new product.  This would be a tool for vendors to educate municipal leaders on technology uses, possible problems, etc. without the pressure of a sales commitment.   Possible uses mentioned were dealing with infrastructure monies coming from federal government and monitoring cameras on highways without adding personnel.  Approved to go to the full Board.
• The Major IT Projects Review covered an update on the Integrated Property Tax System which encompasses the Assessor, Board of Review, Treasurer, and Clerk offices.  A presentation by the vendor contracted, Tyler Technologies, and the Bureau of Technology was given covering background of the contract, payment, Tyler delays, contract amendments.  This project originated in 2015, has had numerous delays and will again be delayed until the fall of 2023.  All expressed frustration with the delays but realized at this point that moving to a new vendor would cost more and not guarantee a better time frame.  There was still talk about needing to use the outdated, expensive mainframe because the Tyler systems weren't ready. There are very few employees who still know the COBAL system to program the mainframe. The contract has been changed to give more favorable terms for the County.  These include hold-back payments, more for the treasurer’s office, 3 years of cloud service, more resources, all at no additional cost.
• Commissioners were concerned about the delay this year in getting out tax bills, which costs local governments money due to interest payments they make on borrowed money.  The Board of Review is anticipating 290,000 “complaints” which will need to be addressed before tax bills can be sent out.  This is behind schedule already due to them not receiving the needed information and will make it unlikely that tax bills go out on time.  Approved to accept the report.

Rules and Administration Committee:

• CFO Rizzi gave an overview of the General Obligation Refunding Bonds ordinance proposal.  This would refinance $275,000,000 worth of bonds at a lower interest rate for the same time period as initially contracted.  This proposal is expected to save the county about $40,000,000 over the next 7 years.  Comm. S. Morrison commented that this is the type of good government practice that the county does well.  Approved to go to the full Board.

​Observer - Karin Hribar

Cook County Board Finance Committee
Departmental Budget Meeting
October 27

State’s Attorney - Presented by Kimberly Foxx

Proposed 2022 Budget: $187,870,209            2021 Budget: $176,029.324
2022 includes $526,335 from the American Rescue Plan Special Purpose Fund

Proposed 2022 FTEs: 1,432                2021 FTEs: 1397.4

Highlights: 2021 Initiatives and Outcomes

• Given the pandemic, The Speedy Trial Act was suspended in late March of 2020 and restored on October 1, 2021.   
• Limited court proceedings meant a significant decrease in cases disposed, and although the gap is closing, we expect to finish the year under target.
• The number one charge remains guns, allowing a focus on public safety and violence.

Operational Opportunities: 2022 Initiatives and Goals

• The State's Attorney (SA) office will continue to expand alternative prosecution programs, and work with partners and community to decriminalize addiction, mental health issues, and poverty.  
• Additional initiatives include increased investigations of past wrongful convictions and preparing for implementation of the SAFE-T Act (the Omnibus Criminal Justice Act that the Illinois Legislature passed and the Governor signed early in 2021).

State’s Attorney Foxx’s Remarks

• In addition to the criminal cases, the SA is the lawyer of record for the county (civil side). $266 million were awarded to the County in a case regarding the failure of Sam’s Club to pay taxes on cigarettes.
• Cook County leads the country in vacating wrongful convictions. This work also helps build trust in the community.  
• A goal is increasing community engagement.  We welcome meeting with constituents in order to better explain the work of the SA.  
• The SA endeavors to be the most transparent SA office in the country and the website has a detailed description of the office’s work, accompanied by data. https://www.cookcountystatesattorney.org/ 
• The workload at Cook County exceeds that of Los Angeles County and New York.  LA County is the largest State’s Attorney office in the U.S. and Cook County is second. But LA County does not handle civil cases or misdemeanors.  NY does not handle misdemeanors.  
• In Cook County, felonies must get approval from the SA; but misdemeanors are directly filed by law enforcement.  In other major US jurisdictions, city attorneys deal with misdemeanors.

Foxx suggests that there are misunderstandings and even misinformation about how and when felony charges occur in Cook County.  She explains the procedure:

• The SA is only involved in a case when an arrest is made.
• Law enforcement (LE) investigates, talks with witnesses, gathers information, and makes an arrest. 
• LE takes the case to the felony review office in the SA office to evaluate whether there was a crime, whether the arrestee is the right person, and whether the evidence can be linked to the arrestee.
• When the case is lacking, the SA cannot indict the arrestee but asks LE to gather more evidence.  The case remains open while additional evidence is sought.
• Evidence gathering is done optimally before arrest since after an arrest is made, an arrestee can be held for only 48 hours.  
• Charges are often brought much later than the date of the crime. But once the case is charged, the SA can use only the evidence gathered at that point. 
• According to ABA Criminal Justice Standards:  “A prosecutor should not seek an indictment unless the prosecutor reasonably believes the charges are supported by probable cause and that there will be admissible evidence sufficient to support the charges beyond reasonable doubt at trial.” 

Commisioner Questions:

Q  Do you have any problem hiring staff?
A   We do well in hiring. We target law students.  There are challenges:

• Covid has caused problems in retention and hiring. 
• Cook County is a low paying office: $69,000 start for assistant.  Law firms pay $160,000. 
• Although many new hires come with a commitment to public service, others come, get the experience, but leave.  Student debt factors into staff leaving.  
• A concern is that many experienced people are retiring.  
• A Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion person has been hired to meet hiring standards.  

​Q  How is your budget striking the balance to help people feel safe but not criminalizing members of the community?
A  We prioritize crimes of violence.  In the past, resources were going to shoplifting and drug cases. For the last four years, we have focused on gun offenses.  Narcotics cases have shrunk because these should be diverted to treatment.  This allows more resources to go to violent crime. 

Q  There was a gunfight recently in the Austin neighborhood of Chicago. There was a video.  Why was no one charged? The mayor used the term “mutual combatants,” indicating that both sides of the incident should be arrested.  Should they have been?
A  The video did not capture the beginning of the conflict.  Under the law, people do have the right to defend themselves—and so the beginning is important.  In this instance, all of the witnesses said, “I want a lawyer.”  The police and we agreed that we had not enough evidence. The mayor’s remarks were disappointing.  Frustration cannot lead us to make bad choices.  

Q  How can we help address mental health needs?
A  Too many mentally ill people are in jail. The felony review team sees that these are mental health situations.  But when people go to Mental Health Court, they get more entangled in the system than they need to be.   People should be deflected out of the system entirely.  But the SA doesn’t have a mechanism to do that--we need robust treatment so that they don’t come to us at all. We have not been thoughtful about the role of trauma and mental health in gun violence.  Children who suffer trauma have no access to social workers, therapy.  They feel they are better off with a weapon. But a child with a gun easily overreacts, leading to tragedy. Our strategies have not been proactive but reactive   We need to figure out how to bring services on the front end.

Q What about the budget for dealing with carjackings?
A The PA office cannot do anything until the police bring cases to them.  The case-clearing by the police for carjackings is only about 12%.

Observer - Janet Kittlaus