Cook County Board Finance Committee 2025 Proposed Budget Hearings Day #2

Cook County Board of Commissioners - Finance Committee
2025 Proposed Budget Review Meetings - Day #2
Oct 29, 2024  

Cook County Treasurer  -  Maria Pappas
       2025 Propose Budget      $17,708,355
       2025 Proposed FTE’s        78

• The staff is currently down to 66 but the Treasurer is initiating an AI group and plans to hire people for that unit.
• The purpose of the AI group will be to analyze the data available in the systems to provide useful information to Commissioners, other elected officials, and residents.
• The Treasurer’s office already provides detailed reports to the Commissioners on residences in their district, including if exemptions have been taken, and appeals. She had distributed the report to all the Commissioners.    
• The Treasurer’s website is used extensively by residents. It has multiple languages.  There were 6 million visits in 2024.  She offered to have a class for the Commissioners’ staff on how to use the website so they can help their constituents.
• The office works with radio programs, community groups, and churches to reach out to the public and explain exemptions and help residents claim overpayments.
• The Treasurer is very critical of the Tyler-led computer system for the property tax function and the staff that the company is providing to the County.   She Is very concerned that once the system is finally in operation, the tax bills will be incorrect.
• Most of the discussion of the Commissioners was about the failure of the Tyler system to meet deadlines, cost overruns, and the capability of the staff they provide to the County.   Apparently, the original contract gives the County little leverage over the company and it limits the County’s ability to sue Tyler.
• Commissioner Degnan asked about “zombie” properties that don’t pay any tax at all.  The Treasurers’ office is doing a study on those properties as well as TIFs and will give a report to the Commissioners.
• Commissioner Britton commented on the number of appeals in his district and reflected on the inequity for residents who don’t have the resources to appeal.
• The Treasurer presented a detailed power point presentation that can be viewed in the “Meeting Details” section for the Legistar entry for this meeting: Treasurer Meeting

Cook County Sheriff    - Tom Dart
         2025 Propose Budget      $755,404,421
         2025 Proposed FTE’s        5,702

• Commissioner Daley started the meeting by addressing the possibility that electronic monitoring (EM) would be transferred from the Sheriff’s office to the Chief Judge.   The meetings of the two offices plus the President’s office and Justice Adviosry Council just started a couple months ago and there have been no definite decisions. The Commissioners would be part of the decision. A lot of the discussion between Sheriff Dart and the Commissioners during this budget meeting still dealt with it.
• Sheriff Dart stated that his office got responsibility for EM when there was a consent decree to reduce the population of the jail. Then low- level crime and non-violent offenders were put in the program.  Over-crowding at the jail is no longer the reason for EM; instead, judges are the ones who determine who should be placed on EM among those awaiting trial. The Sheriff said that the process has become more difficult because those accused of violent crimes are now in the program.  Currently 100 are accused of murder. The Safe-T Act required that all participants be given two periods of movement per week outside of the home. 
• Commissioner Gainer stated that the transparent reporting the Sheriff does on the program will need to continue if it is moved to the Chief Judge.   The Sheriff’s report is online.
• Commissioner Aguilar said that in some cases the Sheriff deputies have been able to prevent a problem with someone on EM because of the deputy’s experience.   If it is under the Judge, a warrant will have to be issued after the problem occurs.
• There is a significant problem with staffing in the Sheriff’s office.  30% of new employees leave in the first year, 75 % leave in 5 years. The Sheriff does not anticipate any layoffs if the EM is moved.   He will use those people to fill openings.   All employees start in Corrections and then can move to other divisions. Workers in EM get specialty payments for the more technical work. 
• Some of the Commissioners questioned the high amount of overtime. Part of the problem with staffing is that the union agreement allows the worker to bid on a specific division or building. So, the administration can’t move someone from one building to another building if there are absences.   That results in the overtime.
• Sheriff Dart pointed out that there is an increase in his budget for technology.   They are looking at better systems to help monitor inmates.
• Commissioner Morrison said that another issue with the openings is that the suburban and City police are asking for more back up.
• Commissioner Degnen asked about reports that there are not enough deputies in the courtrooms.   Sheriff Dart responded that some judges wanted deputies in a courtroom even when there are no proceedings.   There used to be two deputies assigned to each courtroom no matter what the activity.   Now the deputies are assigned as needed.     If there is a highly visible trial, more than one deputy may be assigned.
• Commissioner Lowry discussed all the services the Sheriff offers to inmates as well as people leaving the jail—drug and mental health counseling, job search, and even housing.

Observer:  Kathi Graffam


Office of the Chief Judge:  Judge Tim Evans

    2025 Proposed Budget:  $361,458,924
    2025 Proposed FTEs:  3,089.5
This Office in in charge of Cook County Judges, Court System, and the Juvenile Temporary Detention Center (JTDC).
Highlights of Judge Evans’ presentation:

• successes this past year include opening Sauk Village Restorative Justice Court and in the process of expanding to 3 more locations—Cicero, Hazelcrest, and NW Suburbs.
• has hired 175 people mostly through job fairs
• is in the process of “reimagining” the youth detention center (JTDC); this partly involves moving the female detainees to Soros Center and being more aware of gay and transgender detainees and their needs.
• after a pilot program showed a need, is moving forward with a 24/7 domestic violence court to be open for orders of protection at any hour. Staffing and budget needs to be determined.
• zoom courts as a hybrid format are here to stay and each of 400 judges has a Zoom license to hold these hearings by Zoom.  Interpreters are needed and sometimes don’t show up as per union allowance (last minute call-in)
• Judge Evans is against taking over the entire Electronic Monitoring (EM) system at the county.  He wants the Sheriff to continue his part of EM as he says the 2 systems are completely different and his staff is not able to take this on. The Sheriff wants out of the EM programs, has issues with the SAFE-T Act regarding EM and is not listed as an agency charged with monitoring EM. (See Sheriff presentation from earlier in the day)

The main topics of discussion were EM and the JTDC—hours of questions, clarifications, explanation of plans and new directions.

• Comm. Gainer stressed that a plan needs to be developed regarding which office(s) take over EM, or if it stays split between the Sheriff and Judge offices.  The Justice Advisory Council (JAC) should be involved with this decision.  The Sheriff has legitimate concerns, the SAFE-T Act needs revision to deal with this problem (Evans), there is currently no one in charge of this undertaking.  Gainer requested monthly updates on EM consolidation or other plans regarding this issue.
• the JTDC is being “reimagined.”  Average length of stay for detainees is 30 days; many leave after 72 hours.  There has been about a 10% increase in detainees in all areas:  murder, carjacking, unlawful use of weapon, attempted murder, etc.  JTDC director Dixon’s staff and others have been looking into “Best Practices” regarding juvenile defendants and plans to incorporate these practices within the JTDC in the future.  The steering group for this meets frequently but there are issues with data collection and accuracy (IT issues) and required quarterly reports on the JTDC are lacking.
• Comm. Stamps concerned with detainees finishing education while held (GED).
• Comm. Degnan very concerned with overtime and Family Medical Leave Auth. (FMLA) abuses at the JTDC.

Cook County Land Bank:  Director Jessica Caffrey

    2025 Proposed Budget:  $4,115,698
    2025 Proposed FTEs:  19

Highlights of Presentation:

• this department has been in effect 11 years.  Created as a solution to foreclosures.  In 2010 most vacant properties were due to foreclosures during the financial crisis; now it is the opposite—most vacant properties are due to unpaid property taxes.  
• Goal is to acquire vacant, delinquent-on-taxes property to stabilize neighborhoods.  The selected properties are sold to developers—both large and small—to rehab and then sell to owners (80%) or landlords for renters.  Over the years, 2000 properties have been returned to the tax rolls and a large economic impact occurs for every investment ($10 impact for $1 invested).
• Land Bank is concentrating in disinvested areas and works with the Treasurer to acquire scavenger sale-type properties.  These 2 entities are working together on a new process that will be more efficient.  Comm. Gainer (an early advocate of this department) is pleased with the Director and the results.

Capital Budget: Chief Financial Officer Tonya Anthony, Transportation & Highways Director Jennifer Killen, Chief Information Officer Tom Lynch, & Assets Bureau Chief Elizabeth Granato
        2025 Proposed Budget: $653.4 million
​             $250 million for Capital Improvement Program for County facilities
             $222.9 million for Transportation & Highways Program for County-maintained roads,               bridges and highways
            $180.5 million for Capital Equipment Program for County Depts.

This Office under the President manages projects, facilities, transportation and durable items that should last over 5 years.  The budget is roughly 

• 20% capital projects (major renovations at Stroger Hospital; renewables and solar, reducing energy use; completely renovating the county offices at 69 W Washington St.).  
• 38% is transportation projects such as preservation, modernization and expansion of roads, sidewalks, paths, etc.  
• Another 38% of budget is  capital improvements such as the renovation of the Board Room. 

Highlights of the Presentation:

• 5 EV charging stations have been installed with a goal of 35 EV stations, some for county vehicle use only.
• the County has an upgraded AA bond rating this year, which reduces costs of financing capital projects.
• there will be WI-FI upgrades and ADA enhancements especially in the courts, and Assessors office.
• Comm. Lowry asked about the status of Provident during the Capital Budget:  during 2025, there is going to be an assessment of all the CCH properties, including Provident.  So nothing specific planned for Provident this year.
• The new Board Room on the 5th floor likely will not be ready until sometime in March, and then it could take 4 to 8 weeks for testing out all the equipment.  So that would seem that May might be the first time it is used.  There will be 138 seats for the public + 30 seat for staff + 12 seats on the dais. All ADA compliant.

Observer:  Karin Hribar