October 17, 2007
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

For more information, contact Ibis Antongiorgi, Press Secretary to Cook County Board President Todd H. Stroger, at 312-603-0396 or by email at iantongiorgi@cookcountygov.com. 

County Board President Unveils $3.2 Billion Spending Plan for FY 2008  

New revenue and deeper reductions will fill $239 budget gap, address chronic structural deficit, and invest in Cook County communities.

See below for high-resolution photos. Go HERE to view a copy of President Stroger's budget address.

October 17, 2007, CHICAGO – Cook County President Todd H. Stroger today unveiled his $3.2 billion County budget for Fiscal Year 2008. Included in the budget are plans for a new revenue package to fill the County’s $239 million deficit while addressing the County’s chronic structural deficit and investing in measures to bolster the County’s delivery of core services.

“When I took office last December, we committed ourselves to making tough budgetary decisions that had been too long avoided by this government,” said President Stroger. “This budget furthers the process of transforming County government into a more modern, efficient and effective operation, and tackles some of our most pressing chronic funding issues.”

The budget reflects a reduction from an earlier published shortfall of $307 million by $68 million to a revised deficit of $239 million, a number the administration reached by asking departments to look for even greater cost savings in recent days. Those include the permanent elimination of 735 positions, for a savings of $44.3 million, non-personal savings of $13.8 Million, reduced overtime of $5.2 million, and reductions in centralized hospital administrative services of $4.7 million.

The 2008 budget includes a range of service and accountability enhancements, which encompass increases in staff and funding that address vital needs, external recommendations from oversight groups, and efforts to address court rulings.

These include the addition and transfer within the Bureau of Health Services of a total of 690 positions to comply with the system’s Blue Ribbon Committee recommendations to address restructuring and shared services needs.

The Public Defender will also add 36 positions to meet American Bar Association standards, and the Office of the Chief Judge – which will assume oversight authority of the Juvenile Detention Center – will add 110 positions to comply with court ordered improvements. The Office of the Sheriff will add 111 positions to meet compliance with the Duran Consent Decree.

The Office of the County Clerk’s Board of Elections will add $34 million to fund the 2008 Federal Election.

The President’s proposal also includes increases in the County’s portion of the sales tax, combined with an increase in the parking tax and an increase in the gasoline tax.

The sales tax will provide new revenue for 2008 and beyond by increasing the rate by two cents for a 2.75% tax rate, equaling additional revenue of $142.2 Million for two months of collections in FY 2008 and projected total annual collection of $460 million after next year.

The parking tax will increase by 100% over the current rate to $22.8 Million and the gas tax will increase from 6 cents to 12 cents for an increase in revenue of $74.25 Million. The revenue increases are designed to tackle a well-documented structural deficit that civic groups have called on the County to tackle over the long term.

Cook County is the 19th largest unit of government in the nation representing more than five million residents in 128 municipalities and 30 townships.

For more information, contact Ibis Antongiorgi, Press Secretary to Cook County Board President Todd H. Stroger, at 312-603-0396 or iantongiorgi@cookcountygov.com. 

# # #