Chief Judge and Land Bank Present 2022 Budgets at Hearing

Cook County Board Finance Committee
Departmental Budget Hearings:
October 27, 2021

This report covers the meetings with the Chief Judge and the Land Bank.

Chief Judge presented by Honorable Tim Evans
Proposed 2022 Budget: $287,915,856        2021 Budget: $273,508,315
(2022 includes $1.9 M from American Rescue Plan funds)
Proposed 2022 FTEs: 2,906.6                2021 FTEs: 2,872.6
(2022 includes 29 FTEs from American Rescue Plan funds)

The Chief Judge’s office is the administrative office serving the Circuit Court of Cook County. The office supervises non-judicial employees who provide a wide range of services including judicial support, probation, guardianship, Juvenile Detention, clinical and other support.  

​The Chief Judge stated that the Chief Judges Office is more than hearings in Court and emphasized the good work they are doing with the money that they are given. Some of the highlighted offices under the Chief Judge include:

• Adult and Juvenile Probation-pre- and post-trial activities
• Juvenile Temporary Detention Center (largest in the US)
• Jury Administration
• Children’s Room, place where children can go while their parents are in court
• Restorative Justice Court: there are 4 in Cook County that hear cases for young adults 18-26 that have been charged with non-violent felony or misdemeanors.
• Mental, Drug and Veterans Courts.  There are currently 20 Drug Courts

Chief Judge Evans was very proud of the documentary Any Given Day which is about the Mental Health Court. It won at the Chicago International Film Festival.
Chief Judge Evans will submit 2 amendments to the Chief Judge’s budget:

• The first for Domestic Violence.  He is asking for $2,360,000. This will be used to improve the services at the Domestic Violence Court at 555 E. Harrison, Chicago. The money will be used to support 15 Court coordinators, 5 law Clerks, 40 laptops, Advocates for Elderly Law, Advocates for Disability Law, and advocates to work 24 hours/7 days a week to help make sure orders of protections are provided to those in need. The Sheriff’s Department will provide 12 LEAD Clerks from the LEAD System who will help those seeking Orders of Protection complete the necessary forms and help expedite these orders.  The goal is to provide an Order of Protection to anyone in Cook County who feels they are in a dangerous situation.  The Sheriff’s office may provide some financial support for this amendment. A Committee  was formed in July with Judges and Commissioners Daley, Suffredin, Sims, Deer and Anaya out of concern for how the County is dealing with Domestic Violence.
• The second amendment is to raise the salary of Jurors from $17.20 to $35.00 per day.    Part 2 of this amendment is to increase the hourly rates paid to private attorneys needed to represent indigent people when Public Defenders are not able to represent them due to conflicts of interest. The rate is currently $75 per hour for in Court work and $55 per hour for outside Court Work. Chief Judge would like to double those rates.
• The Commissioners seem to be in favor of the above amendments

Land Bank Authority presented by Eleanor Gorski, Executive Director
Proposed 2022 Budget: 15,020,440            2021 Budget: 15,232,149
Proposed FTEs: 13                        2021 FTES: 12

The Cook County Land Bank Authority (CCLBA) will acquire, hold, and transfer interest in real property throughout Cook County to promote redevelopment and reuse of vacant, abandoned, foreclosed, or tax delinquent properties, and support targeted efforts to stabilize neighborhoods.

Executive Director Gorski began her job in August of 2021.

• This is a self-sustaining Authority. No taxpayer subsidy is used to accomplish their mission.
• 408 properties sold in 2021 and 408 properties were acquired
• 1,000 rehabilitated units have been sold with no public financing as affordable housing since 2013 when the CCLBA was established, 218 units rehab so far in 2021. 
• There was one change in their budget. Grant money was reduced from 4.8M to $550,000 due to a MWRD Grant that ended.

CCLBA Outlook for 2022 that will keep administrative costs flat. Some of the highlights include:

• Leverage with partnerships for an increase in economic development
• Scale up affordable housing with focus planning
• Streamline and update Landbank community engagement and public information efforts
• Work smarter with the resources they have
• To provide more transparency there will be an Annual Review that will be posted on their website, www.cookcountylandbank.org 

Commissioner Gainer spoke of the success of the Landbank and was pleased that they reached a milestone of 1,000 units since its inception. 

Observer: Nancy Marcus