REPORT OF THE COMMITTEE ON
FINANCE
The
Honorable,
The
Board of Commissioners of
Attendance
|
Present: |
Chairman Daley, Vice-Chairman Sims, Commissioners Beavers, |
|
Absent: |
President Stroger and
Commissioners Goslin, |
|
Also Present: |
Jarese Wilson – Director,
Department of Budget and Management Services; Joseph Fratto – Cook County
Comptroller; Donna Dunnings – Chief Financial Officer, Bureau of Finance;
Mark Kilgallon – Chief Administrative Officer, Bureau of Administration;
Rupert F. Graham, Jr. – Superintendent of Highways; Robert J. Cash – Chief
Financial Officer, Public Defender’s Office; and Xavier Velasco – Chief of
Operations, Public Defender’s Office |
Court Reporter: Anthony W. Lisanti, C.S.R.
Ladies
and Gentlemen:
Your
Committee on Finance of the Board of Commissioners of Cook County met pursuant
to notice on
Chairman Daley requested a moment of silence be observed in
remembrance of, and in honor of, the thousands of innocent Americans who were
injured or killed and their families, rescue personnel, and heroes in New York,
Washington and Pennsylvania on the anniversary of the horrific tragedy which
occurred at the World Trade Center in New York, the Pentagon in Washington, and
the airplane crash in Somerset County, Pennsylvania.
Chairman Daley announced an agenda has been distributed
which outlines the order of consideration of the transfer of funds.
The Committee considered requests from various departments
to transfer appropriations between budgetary accounts. Chairman Daley proceeded to the requests for
transfers of funds under $25,000. They
are as follows:
Transfers less than
$25,000
Offices
Under the President
Dept. No. Title Amount
Transferred
|
002 |
Department
of Human Rights, Ethics and Womens’ Issues |
$1,350 |
Bureau of Administration:
Dept. No. Title Amount
Transferred
|
013 |
Department of Planning and
Development |
$3,100 |
|
161 |
Department of Environmental
Control |
46 |
|
205 |
Judicial Advisory Council |
265 |
|
451 |
Supportive Services |
3,420 |
|
Bureau of Finance |
Dept. No. Title Amount
Transferred
|
007 |
Cook County Department of Revenue |
$12,840 |
|
008 |
Department of Risk Management |
813 |
|
020 |
|
15,000 |
|
030 |
County Purchasing Agent |
11,850 |
|
Bureau
of Information Technology & Automation |
Dept. No. Title Amount
Transferred
|
009 |
Office of the Chief Information
Officer |
|
|
|
$50 |
|
023 |
Department of Office Technology |
|
|
|
30 |
Other
Agencies |
Dept. No. Title Amount
Transferred
|
070 |
|
$11,000 |
Assessor
Dept. No. Title Amount
Transferred
|
040 |
Office of the |
$189 |
Dept. No. Title Amount
Transferred
|
018 |
Office of the |
|
$7,007 |
Dept. No. Title Amount
Transferred
|
110 |
|
|
$11,533 |
|
524 |
|
|
1,500 |
|
Recorder
of Deeds |
Dept. No. Title Amount
Transferred
|
130 |
Recorder of Deeds |
|
$7,548 |
|
|
527 |
|
|
7,000 |
|
Commissioner Silvestri, seconded by Vice Chairman Sims, moved approval of the transfer of funds requests under $25,000. The motion carried unanimously.
Chairman Daley asked Jarese Wilson, Budget Director to give an overview
of the transfer of funds requests.
Ms. Wilson stated that the requests over $25,000 are standard moves
between personnel and non-personnel accounts to cover contractual obligations
or other obligations so that payments can be made prior to the end of the
current fiscal year. Ms. Wilson further
stated that the total transfers compared to prior years are down. The current
request is .44% of the total budget, which equates to $13.4 million in total
transfers. In the prior year it was .78%
of the total budget, or $24 million in total transfers.
Chairman Daley proceeded to the requests for transfers of funds over
$25,000. They are as follows:
Transfers over $25,000
Bureau of Administration:
Dept. No. Title Amount
Transferred
|
011 |
Office of the Chief Administrative
Officer |
$100,288 |
Vice Chairman Sims, seconded by Commissioners Murphy, moved approval of the transfer of funds request for the Office of the Chief Administrative Officer. The motion carried.
Dept. No. Title Amount
Transferred
|
259 |
Office of the Medical Examiner |
$215,732 |
Vice Chairman Sims, seconded by Commissioners Murphy, moved approval of
the transfer of funds request for the Office of the Medical Examiner. The motion carried unanimously.
Dept. No. Title Amount
Transferred
|
260 |
Office of the Public Defender |
$517,976 |
Commissioner
Collins asked how many public defenders were impacted by the layoffs.
Mr.
Xavier Velasco, Chief of Operations of the Public Defender’s Office, responded
approximately 19.
Commissioner Collins asked what the average caseload
per public defender is.
Mr. Velasco replied 150 felonies per year and 450
misdemeanors per year, but indicated that the caseloads vary depending on the
department.
Commissioner Beavers inquired as to how many
vacancies are currently in the Public Defender’s office.
Robert J. Cash, Chief Financial Officer of the
Public Defender’s Office, responded there are 43 vacancies.
Commissioner Beavers asked why the Public Defender’s
Office is not hiring.
Mark Kilgallon, Chief Administrative Officer of the
Bureau of Administration, stated that approximately seven attorneys were hired
last week and seven additional attorneys are being rehired from the
layoffs. He further stated that the
Board will be asked to approve new positions for the 2008 budget as a
recommendation from the administration.
Vice Chairman Sims, seconded by Commissioners Murphy, moved approval of
the transfer of funds request for the Office of the Public Defender. The motion carried unanimously.
Dept. No. Title Amount
Transferred
|
440 |
|
$2,592,509 |
Commissioner Claypool asked the amount of surplus
from vacancies at the
Mr. Kilgallon responded that the total amount that
is being transferred out of the 110 Account (Salaries and Wages of Regular
Employees) should be equivalent to the amount of surplus. Further, Mr. Kilgallon stated that all of the
surplus money is being used for overtime and food supplies.
Commissioner Claypool inquired as to how much of the
money being transferred today is a result of unfilled positions countywide.
Ms. Wilson stated that for the
Commissioner Claypool asked Ms. Wilson if, in her
previous experience, she has worked with budgets that include an allowance for
a projected turnover rate and vacancies on an annual basis.
Ms. Wilson responded that she is familiar with
budgets that contain such a calculation.
Vice Chairman Sims, seconded by Commissioners Murphy, moved approval of
the transfer of funds request for the
Dept. No. Title Amount
Transferred
|
500 |
County Highway Department |
$30,000 |
Commissioner Beavers asked how many vacancies are in
the Highway Department.
Rupert F. Graham, Jr., Superintendent of Highways,
responded 15 vacancies exist in budgetary unit 500, and with respect to
budgetary unit 501, there are 40 vacancies.
Commissioner Silvestri, seconded by Commissioners Murphy, moved
approval of the transfer of funds request for the County Highway
Department. The motion carried
unanimously.
Dept. No. Title Amount
Transferred
|
510 |
Animal Control Department |
$97,000 |
Vice Chairman Sims, seconded by
Commissioners Murphy, moved approval of the transfer of funds request for the
Animal Control Department. The motion
carried unanimously.
Bureau of Finance
Dept. No. Title Amount
Transferred
|
014 |
Department of Budget and
Management Services |
$50,000 |
Commissioner
Quigley asked the Budget Director if the budget department has the opportunity
to review overspent line items during the year.
Ms.
Wilson stated that overspent items are being covered.
Joseph
Fratto, County Comptroller, stated that the departments require Board approval
to affect a transfer to cover any overspending.
He concurred with the Budget Director, that some departments may have
overspent, and do not have enough surplus appropriation to cover the
transfer. At that point there has to be
some sort of interdepartmental transfer to clean up the account and to put it
back where it should be.
Commissioner Silvestri, seconded by
Commissioner Steele, moved approval of the transfer of funds request for the
Department of Budget and Management Services.
The motion carried unanimously.
|
Bureau
of Health Services |
Dept. No. Title Amount
Transferred
240 Cermak
Health Services of Cook County $ 325,555
890 Bureau
of Health Services 1,723,327
891 Provident
Hospital of Cook County 3,090,277
893 Ambulatory
and Community Health Network of Cook County 805,243
898 Oak
Forest Hospital of Cook County 615,000
Commissioner Butler, seconded by Commissioner Murphy, moved approval of the transfer of funds request for the Bureau of Health Services. The motion carried unanimously.
|
Bureau
of Information Technology & Automation |
Dept. No. Title Amount
Transferred
|
016 |
Department of Central Services |
|
|
$126,145 |
Commissioner Maldonado, seconded by Commissioner Murphy, moved approval of the transfer of funds request for the Department of Central Services. The motion carried unanimously.
|
Other
Agencies |
Dept. No. Title Amount
Transferred
|
390 |
Office of the Public Administrator |
|
|
$34,650 |
Commissioner Murphy, seconded by Commissioner Steele, moved approval of the transfer of funds request for the Office of the Public Administrator. The motion carried unanimously.
|
Chief
Judge |
Dept. No. Title Amount
Transferred
|
300 |
Judiciary |
|
|
$99,000 |
|
305 |
Office of the Public Guardian |
|
|
42,000 |
|
326 |
Juvenile Probation and Court
Services Department |
|
|
79,500 |
Commissioner Collins, seconded by Commissioner Murphy, moved approval of the transfer of funds request for the Office of the Chief Judge. The motion carried unanimously.
|
Clerk of
the Circuit Court |
Dept. No. Title Amount
Transferred
335 Office
of the Clerk $208,000
343 County-Wide
Operations Bureau 105,000
344 Family
Law Bureau 66,000
348 Criminal
Bureau 178,000
360 1st
Municipal Bureau 103,000
372 Suburban
Operations Bureau 60,000
528 Circuit
Court Automation Fund 207,807
529 Clerk
of the Circuit Court Document Storage Fund 651,308
Vice Chairman Sims, seconded by Commissioner Steele, moved approval of the transfer of funds request for the Office of the Clerk of the Circuit Court. The motion carried unanimously.
|
Sheriff |
Dept. No. Title Amount
Transferred
236 Department
of Community Supervision and Intervention $ 39,000
239 Department
of Corrections 600,000
Commissioner Silvestri, seconded by Vice Chairman Sims, moved approval of the transfer of funds request for the Office of the Sheriff. The motion carried unanimously.
|
State’s
Attorney |
Dept. No. Title Amount
Transferred
250 State's
Attorney $210,000
Commissioner Silvestri, seconded by Vice Chairman Sims, moved approval of the transfer of funds request for the State’s Attorney’s Office. The motion carried unanimously.
|
Cook
County Treasurer |
Dept. No. Title Amount
Transferred
060
Commissioner Murphy, seconded by Vice Chairman Sims, moved approval of the transfer of funds request for the Treasurer’s Office. The motion carried unanimously.
The detailed requests from various departments to transfer
appropriations between budgetary accounts is attached hereto and made a part
hereof.
Commissioner Silvestri, seconded by
Commissioner Murphy, moved to adjourn the meeting. The motion carried unanimously and the
meeting was adjourned.
The transcript for this meeting is available
in the Office of the Secretary to the Board, 118 N. Clark Street, Room 567,
Chicago, IL 60602.