Special Cook County Board and Finance Committee Meetings
November 16, 2023

Completing a process that began this summer, the Cook County Board unanimously passed a budget for fiscal year 2024 totaling $9.26 B on November 16, 2023.  This budget contains no increases in taxes or fees.  It does continue to utilize ARPA funds of about $682 M, mainly for special programs, as opposed to ongoing operations.  However, as part of this budget, the County has also begun setting aside some funds for future use to continue those ARPA programs that are deemed most beneficial beyond 2026, when no further ARPA funds may be spent.  See the Observer Reports on the Budget meetings that were held on October 24 thru 26 that are posted on this web site for more information about the initial proposed budget. The 2024 fiscal year begins December 1, 2023.

Amendments to the Original Budget Proposal
The $9.26 B budget passed reflects an increase of $126 M over the initial budget proposed by President Preckwinkle in October as a result of 7 of the 22 amendments approved at the Finance Committee meeting:

• $100 M comes from allocating more of the excess in the Fund Balance at the end of FY2022 for a new Disaster Response and Recovery Special Purpose Fund that was approved at the Special Board meeting immediately prior.  Monies from this fund may only be used after a Disaster declaration at the County, State, or Federal levels.  (23-5710)  
• Pursuant to Budget Amendments #6, 7, and 8, $70 M of the total $100 M for this new Fund is allocated for new arrival health care costs which are over and above the $24 M already in the budget; $20 M is allocated for Suburban local governments’ costs in dealing with disasters, including support for new arrivals; and $10 M is allocated for disaster response and recovery due to events in FY2024.  These amendments drew the most discussion, with Commissioner Gainer asking questions as to how and who would determine when funds were to be expended, particularly with regard to funds to local governments.  The Director of Emergency Management and Regional Security and the Chief Financial Officer, in consultation with the President, will be making the determination. Quarterly reports will be provided to the Board on any such expenditures.
• Other additions to the budget are $17.5 M for capital expenditures (Amend. #5); $5.2 M from Special Purpose Fund Balances to increase expenditures from those funds in 2024 (Amend. # 2); $2.6 M in additional grant monies were identified (Amend. #4); and $818,918 from collections of special assessments on property taxes for C-PACE, which allows property owners to finance the cost of energy or other eligible improvements up front, with payback through a special assessment on their property taxes (Amend. #13).

In addition to these Amendments which increased the overall budget, other amendments moved dollars around from original line items.  Those amendments include;

• Adding a Manager of Purchasing & Operations and 3 administrative assistant positions (one for each Commissioner) to the Board of Review.  (Amend. #15)
• Adding a Special Assistant for Legal Affairs under the Office of the Secretary to provide legal assistance to the Cook County Commissioners.  (Amend. # 17)
• Increasing funding by about $1 M for Doula/Social Support Services in Cook County Health to improve maternal morbidity/mortality rates for women. (Amend. #19).  Several people spoke and submitted public comments in support.
• Adding dentistry positions for the Oral Health Program under Cook County Health that visits the clinics.  (Amend. #20)
• Funding the new ARPA program for the Food for Medicine initiative that was approved at the prior day’s Health & Hospitals Committee meeting.  (Item 23-5723 and Amend. #18)
• Adding $900,000 to the Veterans Assistance Commission. (Amend. # 9)

Public Speakers at the beginning of the Special Board Meeting included

• Sarah Wetmore, Acting President of the Civic Federation, said it supports the budget, but expressed the following concerns:  (1) the General Fund’s increasing reliance on sales tax revenues; (2) the County’s staffing shortages which result in higher costs for contractual services; (3) the need for a unified property tax office; (4) the high costs associated with unincorporated areas within the County; (5) the need for Cook County Health to increase transparency by reflecting the full County monetary support (such as for pensions) in its budget.
• Appleseed expressed concern over the continued use of electronic monitoring, which Appleseed equated as almost as problematic as incarceration in jail.  Appleseed reminded the Commissioners of Appleseed’s report earlier this year which contained a number of recommendations that have thus far not been implemented.
• Two speakers also spoke against increasing the Sheriff’s budget to provide mental health services, arguing those should be provided under other auspices.  As one speaker put it, you shouldn’t have to go to jail to receive such services.
• Another speaker spoke against the Board of Review budget.

Observer:  Priscilla Mims

Cook County Board Finance Committee meetings with:

• Cook County State’s Attorney
• Cook County Board of Review
• Cook County Treasurer
• Chicago Board of Elections
• Cook County Land Bank
• Cook County Veterans Commission

October 26, 2023

Cook County State’s Attorney (Kimberly Foxx)
Proposed 2024 Expenditures:    $292.7 M    2023:  $195.1 M
   General Funds:                                          $132.9 M    2023:  $127.8 M
   Special Purpose Funds:                          $  26.1 M    2023:  $  23.2 M
   Restricted (Grants):                                  $  43.8 M    2023:  $  44.2 M
2024 Total FTEs:                             1,441.0    2023:  1,470.0
   General Funds:                                             1,244.2    2023:  1,244.0
   Special Purpose Funds:                                 39.0    2023:       43.0
   Restricted (Grants):                                         157.8    2023:     183.6

Following are some key items from this meeting:

• State’s Attorney (“SA”) Foxx reported on the experience since “no cash bail” was implemented in September:  650 requests for detention have been requested and 60% have been granted by judges at detention hearings (mainly for charged crimes of domestic battery, murder, attempted murder, and vehicular hijacking); and the jail population for those charged with non-violent crimes has been reduced by 20%.
• While SA Foxx would welcome more attorney positions, she stressed what would be more useful are more support staff – The standard would be twice the number of attorneys, but rather than having the 1600 support positions that the standard calls for, under the 2024 budget, there will be 350 (up from 300 in 2023).  She said that attorneys are spending time doing tasks that support staff would do – including making copies.  Thus, adding more support staff would increase the productivity of the attorneys and help with retention.
• SA Foxx also reported that 240 wrongful convictions have been vacated.

Cook County Board of Review (George A. Cardenas, Samantha Steele, Larry R. Rogers, Jr.)
Proposed 2024 Expenditures:    $20.1 M    2023:  $18.0 M
   General Funds:                                        $19.6 M     2023:  $18.0 M
   Special Purpose Funds:                       $  0.5 M     2023:  $  0 
2024 Total FTEs:                              163      2023:  157
   General Funds:                                            163        2023:  157

Following are some key items from this meeting:

• Looking at the numbers above, the Board of Review (“BOR”) has 6 new positions, but it was said that there are 8 new FTEs:  6 analysts (split between District 1 and 2 Commissioners, who have fewer analysts than District 3) and 2 tech people.  The BOR wanted 38 new positions.  Currently, the BOR is requesting that the budget be amended to add 5 more:  3 analysts to deal with appeals at the Property Tax Appeals Board (where all the governments which receive property tax funds have exposure of up to $500 M should those appeals be granted), plus a Director of Communications and a Manager of Operations & Purchases.  The BOR is also seeking $100,000 more for non-personnel expenses.  The BOR said that the standard is to have 1 analyst per 2,000 parcels; at the BOR there are 38-40 analysts working 400,000 parcels.
• Comm Degnen said that the rate of appeals from assessments is 5% nationally, but Cook County is an outlier with 30% of the initial assessments appealed.  BOR Comm. Steele said that for many years people in Cook County have been told they should appeal and changing that culture is difficult.  Appeals can be done at the Assessor level first, and then at the BOR.  In response to a question from Comm. Anaya, 44% of the residential appeals at the BOR resulted in reductions totaling $468 M, and 30% of the commercial appeals totaling $5.6 B.  
• Comm. Degnen also raised the issue that the Assessor and BOR use different criteria for assessing commercial properties.  Comm. Steele said that the Assessor looks at the value should the property be sold, while the BOR also looks at the actual expenses and vacancies at those properties, which means the BOR uses a “loaded CAP rate” that the Assessor does not.  That is one of the issues being discussed by President Preckwinkle’s task force on the property tax system.
• Comm. Steele said that the District 2 analysts are using a program to do an initial review that is currently not being used by the other two districts.  District 2 also has implemented standardized procedures for analyzing appeals.  Comm. Britton encouraged all to take as much subjectivity out of the appeals process as possible.  
• Comm. Degnen called on the BOR to present separate budgets in the future:  one for each district plus a 4th one to cover costs that pertain to the BOR as a whole.  This would be similar to what the County Board has, with separate budgets for each Commissioner.

Cook County Treasurer (Maria Pappas)
Proposed 2024 Expenditures:    $15.5 M    2023:  $13.5 M
   General Funds:                                      $   0.7 M    2023:  $  0.7 M
   Special Purpose Funds:                        $14.8 M    2023:  $12.8 M
2024 Total FTEs:                            76.0       2023:  75.5
  General Funds:                                            6.0        2023:    7.0
  Special Purpose Funds:                         70.0        2023:  68.5

Following are some key items from the meeting:

• Treasurer Pappas said that in 1988, office had 250 employees and if same number today, budget would have been $59.6 M.  Instead, today have 59 filled positions and budget is $15.5 M, with 95% of that funded by commercial user fees (in the Special Purpose Funds). 
• Web site getting 5.7 M page visits through Oct. 1 of this year.  Can see from the site that there are $84 M of duplicate and overpayment refunds that taxpayers can apply for online.  Also, about 30,000 seniors could save $34 M if apply for exemptions, which can be done through a link on web page.  Web site can be used through 133 different languages. www.cookcountytreasurer.com. 
• Treasurer Pappas says she led reforms that slashes interest rates on late property tax payments from 18% to 9% per year; that closes loopholes that have allowed tax buyers to reduce governments tax receipts by $40 M each year; and that provides new tools to get chronically tax delinquent properties to new entities so the properties may be more quickly put back to use.
• Treasurer Pappas also touted the studies that have been done by her staff, as well as the new Artificial Intelligence group that she is in the process of creating.  She has tasked the AI group to enhance the phone system for use in 120 languages to obtain tax history of properties for 20 years. 

Chicago Board of Elections (“BOE”) (Charles Holiday, Jr., Executive Director)
Proposed 2024 Expenditures:    $26.4 M    2023:  $ 1.7 M  (all Election Fund)
2024 Total FTEs:                              4.0        2023:  4.0
   
Note:  The Chicago Board of Elections runs elections in the City of Chicago, while the Cook County Clerk is responsible for elections in suburban Cook County.  A portion of the funding for the Board of Elections is paid for by the City of Chicago, including the cost of all but 4 of the employees of the Board.  Cook County pays the costs of the 3 Election Board Commissioners and the Executive Director each year.  A much greater amount is allocated by Cook County to the Board of Elections during even years to cover a little less than half of the costs of the Primary and General elections. The proposed 2024 budget at the City for the Board is an additional $34.5 M.

• BOE has purchased new e-poll books for the 2024 elections to check voters in.  BOE is working on recruiting and training election workers, and making plans to handle the expected increase in voters utilizing early voting and vote-by-mail options.  Currently, there are 130,000 signed up for the permanent vote-by-mail registry, and many more are expected to sign up in 2024.
• Comm. Britton asked if BOE and County Clerk have come up with a single web page location where voters could go to see combined totals for both Chicago and Suburban Cook where districts overlap.  The answer is no, not yet. 
• Comm. Degnen said that the early voting site in her district had long lines the last few days of Early Voting and asked if more sites could be added so people would not be discouraged from voting.  Mr. Holiday said that would entail additional money, which the City Council was not willing to provide.  However, he stressed that people can go to any Early Voting site to vote.  

Land Bank Authority (Jessica Caffrey)
Proposed 2024 Expenditures:    $  7.0 M   2023:  $5.4 M
   Special Purpose Funds:                         $  6.3 M    2023:  $5.0 M
   Restricted (Grants)                                  $  0.7 M    2023:  $0.4 M
2024 Total FTEs:                               18       2023:  15
   Special Purpose Funds:                               18        2023:      15

Following are some key items from this meeting:

• Ms. Caffrey said that this agency is the largest of this type in the country based on geography.  Over the last 10 years, 1,700 vacant properties have been put back on tax rolls, $20.8 M unpaid taxes have been recovered, and $186 M have been added to community wealth – looking at the value when the properties were sold to the Land Bank vs. the value when the Land Bank sold.
• The goals are to (1) grow home ownership, (2) build community wealth, (3) acquire vacant properties, and (4) reduce its “aged” inventory (held more than 2 years) by 15%.  Said that 2023 was the first year that more properties were sold (594) than acquired (441).

Veterans Assistance Commission (Agency Head, Maj. Deanna Love, USA, ret.)
Proposed 2024 Expenditures:  $1.14 M  (all General Funds)
2024 Total FTEs:  11.0
This Commission was reorganized as a result of a new state law and related County ordinance, which is why no information for 2023 is provided.

• Said proposed budget will allow staff to increase from current 4 positions to 11.  Budget also provides money to increase space for this staff to provide service to veterans. Plan to introduce new services to veterans, which will also lead to economic benefits to Cook County as a whole.
• In response to questions from Comm. Lowry and Anaya, said that services are provided for those on a needs-tested basis; incomes must be less than 300% of the poverty level; and must re-apply and qualify each year.
• Commission originally requested 16 more FTEs, with 8 of those dedicated to assisting veterans in applying for Federal assistance. 

Observer:  Priscilla Mims

Cook County Board Finance Committee – Mid-Year  Budget Hearings
July 25, 2023 - Afternoon Meetings

Inspector General – Steven Cyranoski, Interim IG.  
$2.3 million Preliminary 2024 budget

• At midterm, 15% below 2023 budget.  Year-end projection:  Under Budget
• Budgeted for 19 FTE’s.  Currently: 3 vacancies [IG, Deputy IG, Investigator]
• No commissioner questions

Public Administrator – Louis Apostal.   $1.7 million self-funded 2024

• 738 investigations to find rightful inheritance ownership
• 70 properties under management
• 15 full-time staff – unionized office.  5 outside attorneys
• 2024 budget will increase by $137,000 – primarily increased compensation costs

Cook County Clerk – Karen Yarborough.   $20.6 million Preliminary 2024 budget

• Chief Election Officer and responsible for maintaining and providing vital records
• No longer under Shakman and received several compliments for achievement
• Increased vacancies of between 25-30 due to retirement and termination
• Elections:  Additional language ballots will be offered along with information sheets in that language.
• Commissioner Aquilar asked why a pension deduction was taken out of Election Judges checks. Ans:  there is a glitch in the system which is being addressed.  
• Availability of Election Judges was a question:  Ans:  The shortfall has been filled by veterans, community college students that can earn a credit for taking a course on being an election judge, civics, and cyber security.
• Question:  Security of elections and voting by mail.  Ans:  Election ballot drop boxes are located at early voting sites and are monitored.

Board of Review [BOR] – Cardenas, Steele, Rogers.  
$18 million Preliminary 2024 budget

• Currently, analysts are working 20 hours mandatory overtime to get appeals processed and sent to the next office for mailing out the 2022 tax bills which are already late.
• The BOR asked for money to bring each of the 3 Districts to 50 analysts.  Currently a total of 105 analysts.  Daley asked if granted, could the Board guarantee that the tax bills will go out on time.  Ans:  No as there are too many other offices involved in the process.  Said it is anticipating 400,000 appeals in 2024.  The previous analyst ratio was 1-1200 appeals.  Now 1-1600 appeals.
• Steele, who has 17 years in the Assessment Industry including the CC Assessor’s office, noted that the Assessor looks at properties in comparable groups while the BOR reviews each property individually.  
• Steele published a BOR report for 2022 and is in the process of working on a Standards Manual.
• February’s request for a cost comparison between switching to or fully integrating with the Tyler system should be ready in late August.  Cardenas noted that the BOR has just two IT employees.
• Cardenas said that transparency is at the front of the BOR’s mission, and that it has already reduced the appeal time by 6 weeks.  He also said the website has been improved as have FOIA responses

Land Bank – Jessica Caffrey, Executive Director.  Primarily self-funded
Ms. Caffrey is relatively new to the Land Bank having worked for the County in previous roles including coordinating the development of the Old Stroger Hospital and the building of the Cook County Health’s Administrative Building on Polk.

• The Land Bank’s goal is to “create the market” by acquiring 4-5 houses per block in a blighted area which can change the entire block and market
• It acquires vacant, available property through tax sales and other means
• 96% of all its properties are resold to homeowners
• $9.8 million in real estate value has been created in Inglewood
• Created $2.5 million in revenues as of May 1, 2023
• Reduced aged inventory which is property that is on the books over two years
• Staff:  13 positions including 3 vacancies.

​Observer:  Diane Edmundson

Cook County Board of Commissioners (CCBC) Meeting
February 9, 2023

Board Action:

• CCBC approved resolution from the Technology and Innovation Committee for Cost Comparison Assessment and Action Plan from Bureau of Technology and Board of Review on Technology Software. This will provide a comparison to calculate cost to County of creating an integrated automation platform technology to transfer data. The written report of cost comparison will describe and prepare an action plan based on the report’s results.  Report is due within 90 days of enactment of resolution. Several Board members commented on the discussion in committee and that members recognized it could be helpful in resolving a long-time issue. Com. Degnan noted that extra time could be provided should Bd of Review require it (23-1174). Approved.
• Cook County Covid-019 Response Financial Report passed to Receive and File.  The report serves as an update on Coronavirus Relief Fund (CRF), FEMA PA, Emergency Rental Assistance, and American Rescue Plan Act Grant allocations, 3/1/2020-1/20/2023.  Per the Report, the County’s CARES Act allocation is 100% expended with final report delivered to US Treasury last month. (23-1268) 
• Cook County Promise Guaranteed Income Pilot Status Update passed to Receive and File. Potential participants were evaluated and interviewed for eligibility and a lottery was used to select the 3250 persons participating.  Surveys of participants, data collection, and update reports will continue for this 24-month pilot program. (23-0469)
• Cook County Department of Transportation and Highways reported on projects including an intergovernmental agreement with Metra for improvements to Chicago State University Metra station. County will reimburse Metra for its share of construction and construction management costs. Both items referred to the Transportation Committee. (23-1063, 23-1074)

Of Interest:

• Resolution honoring Jesse White was deferred. (23-0992)

Observer - Carolyn Cosention

Cook County Board of Commissioners (CCBC) Committee Meetings 
Feb. 7-8, 2023                

Finance Committee

• Cook County Health: Cook County Comptroller, Lawrence Wilson, reported Dec. 2022 balances. A  net favorable revenue balances of $52 M in General Fund and $49M in Health Fund.  State payments to Health Fund with $206M owed, including Medicaid, state direct and pass-through grants have been competed for 2022. CCH Chief Financial Officer, Pam Cassara, reported a net favorable net balance for expenses and revenues for Dec 2022. ​Receive and File, approved (23-1209).
• Cook County Promise Guaranteed Income Pilot Status Report:  Slide presentation of highlights and discussion with commissioners was led by Dom Tocci, Deputy Bureau Chief, CC Bureau of Economic Development, Pete Subkoviak, Director of Guaranteed Income and Economic Mobility, CC Bur. Of Ec Dev., Sarah Moran GiveDirectly, US Country Director, and Misuzu Schexnider, Program Director for Univ Chgo Inclusive Economy Lab. They represent the main components of this 24-month guaranteed income pilot. It is funded through AARPA. Of the $42.5M total for the county program, $39M goes to participants, $2.5M (8.5%) goes to administration, outreach, and evaluation costs. Prior to this committee meeting, each commissioner met with these groups.
  
• Here are some details from the presentation and discussion: A total of 3,250 households in Cook County are receiving $500 a month for 24 months. A manual review of 12,000 applicants was conducted; a full list of instruments used for the verification process can be provided. 83% of participants live in the suburbs. If their income status improves during this period, they remain in the program.  Application assistance, outreach, and benefits counseling are provided by GiveDirectly throughout the county in multiple languages. There is a control group comprised of applicants who were eligible but not selected to receive funds. Monthly, they conduct a 2-question survey to ensure participants received payments and to check for accuracy of accounts.  Payments began Dec. 2022 through either direct debit or loadable debit accounts.  Working Credit, a national non-profit, provides education on credit for participants and 1-1 credit-building counseling for 1 year, more if requested.  All participants, including those in control group, are eligible for financial counseling.  The data from the pilot is being compiled by the Univ. of Chicago Inclusive Economy Lab; they are also processing data from the Chicago pilot. The County’s 2-year collection of data is expected to give more reliable results than the typical 12-month pilots. Commissioners requested that results include information from detailed breakdown of race and ethnicity of participants. Commissioners were also assured that data at the end of the process would be quantitative, not just qualitative. Motion to Receive and file report was approved (23-0548).  Video of this meeting is available.

Environment and Sustainability Committee

• Resolution in Support of Environmental Justice: Resolution affirms CCBC will assess internal policy and procedures to ensure environmental justice, prioritize projects that will help address past harms in communities impacted by environmental injustice, and work with environmental justice leaders and organizations to adopt a Cook County Environmental Policy by the end of 2024.  Motion to accept 23-1092 as substituted. Passed

Technology and Innovation Committee

• Resolution Requesting Cost Comparison Assessment and Action Plan from Bureau of Technology and Board of Review on Technology and Soft Solutions:  This resolution is intended to address replacing the 40 year old mainframe system with an integrated appraisal and tax administration software solution. Resolutions states the report to Commissioners will be due within 90 days of passage of resolution. Officials from Bd of Review, Bureau of Technology, and Assessors Office were present to answer questions from commissioners. The concerns by CCBC had been expressed in the Jan. 2023 meeting. The resolution is intended to provide numbers for the comparison.  Discussion extended over an hour.   Tom Lynch, Bureau of Technology, stated 60 days was adequate to complete their portion of the comparison.   Board of Review Com. Cardenas, incoming Chair, has been in office 2 months. He stated he has held meetings in his district and within the department; he stated he is aware that with technology there are always better ways to work. The Board of Review has 2 IT workers to address operational issues in the department of 150 analysts working on appeals. He stated that IT would not be able to work with new technology and at the same time respond to analysts’ needs, including new employees, and equipment issues that occur as they work with appeals. Com. Rogers from Board of Review ( BoR) stated many times that the timeline was not realistic since tax bills are now being processed. Appeals are being conducted. He stated tax bills will be late this year and that as of Feb. 1, the BoR has received 22 of 38 township assessments.  So late billing will be the result of not receiving all the assessments from Assessor for appeals. Normally, he stated, all assessments would be with BoR by early December. Currently, they are hearing appeals. BoR Com. Steele stated all commissioners were invited to see the draft of the resolution; she apologized if Rogers did not receive a copy of the draft when it was distributed. Scott Smith of Assessor’s Office stated they have met with new commissioners and have a tentative agreement over a calendar for the next round of assessments. He also stated that the BoR had by now (2/8/23) received all the township assessments. Com. Morrisson asked whether BoR would have all the information needed from Assessor’s Office to complete all assessments if it was off the mainframe and interfaced with the system it used.  “Yes” was the answer from the Assessor’s Office. Com Degnan stated multiple times that the intent of the resolution was to shine a light on costs when comparing use of 2 systems vs 1 system. She stated that the CCBC could take a request for more time if a reasonable explanation is provided.  She stated that the CCBC could not force the BoR to join the interfaced system used by 3 departments involved in the process.  Resolution was approved with vote of 6 Aye, 1 Nay, 2 Present. (23-1174)  Video is available.

Carolyn Cosentino, Observer

Cook County Board Committee Meetings
Jan. 24, 25, & 26, 2023

In several of the meetings of the Cook County Board Committees, Commissioners raised the need for more data and identifying up front what the goals and measures should be for determining whether particular programs were worth the expenditures.  For example:

• In the Health & Hospitals Committee, the Public Health Department reported on several campaigns, including those to boost the number of people who have obtained the latest Covid booster shot, and a “Here to Hear You” program with regard to providing mental health services.  Commissioner Miller asked for a report at the next meeting on ways to track the impact of these efforts.
• During that same meeting, Commissioner Miller asked where to look up where health disparities exist in the County.  There is a Health Atlas that is published online by the County, and Commissioner Miller asked for a briefing on this at the next meeting.

 

• In the Finance Committee, there was a long discussion about the extension and increase of a contract with Deloitte Consulting to provide recruiting and other related services for the Bureau of Human Relations.  Commissioners Gainer and Degnen wanted to know how the Bureau will determine the degree to which the various marketing/recruiting strategies are effective so they can determine where to put their money in the future.  
• In a related topic, the same Commissioners, along with Sean Morrison, asked for data as to the time it took from when a department notified it had a need for an employee until the position is filled.  The Commissioners asked that the information include any time that elapses prior to the posting of the job, including any time necessary to create a job description and any time necessary for the Budget Department to approve that the position is authorized under the department’s budget.  Commissioner Gainer explained that having such data is crucial for determining where the process might be speeded up.

 

• In the Technology Committee, Commissioner Degnen asked for a cost comparison assessment to analyze (a) the costs of maintaining two separate systems, including creating an interface between the Board of Review’s system and the County-wide Property Tax System which includes the Assessor’s office now and will encompass the other two offices involved with the property tax system (the Clerk and Treasurer) vs. (b) expanding the County-wide system to include the Board of Review.  This request was formally included as an item on the next day’s Board meeting, where it was referred to the Technology Committee.  (Item 23-1174)

• During the Contract Compliance meeting, the consultants who prepared the Cook County 2022 Disparity Study gave a presentation.  One of their recommendations is that the County develop performance measures for determining the success of the County’s affirmative action program.  Commissioner Miller, Chair of the Committee, said that there would be a subsequent meeting to review the plan developed by the Contract Compliance Department to implement the Disparity Study’s recommendations.

Other Items of Note:

• While the meetings are being held in the Board room, at each meeting there was a motion to authorize some of the committee members to participate remotely.  However, in order to hold the meeting at all, a quorum (i.e. simple majority) of the committee members must be physically present.  This proved to be a problem for the Subcommittee on Workers’ Compensation which had to postponed on Jan. 24, and again at a re-scheduled time on Jan. 25.  The meeting was finally held on Jan. 26 when 3 of the 5 members were present in the Board room.
• At the Finance Committee meeting, the Comptroller reported that the preliminary analysis of the revenues and expenses for the fiscal year ending November 30, 2022 shows favorable balances of $357 Million in the General Fund and $366 Million in the Health Fund.  However, the Comptroller also pointed out that these balances are on a cash basis.  Cook County Health uses the accrual basis, which provides a truer picture of the financial situation at Cook County Health.  
• During the Environment & Sustainability Committee meeting, at which the Environmental Commission’s 2022 Annual Report was received and filed, Commissioner Trevor raised the concern that multi-family buildings in the suburbs are not covered by municipal recycling programs.  Commissioner Miller would like to get a list of municipalities that have recycling programs and those who do not.

Observer:  Priscilla Mims