Board of Commissioners remain committed to lowering 2025 levy as end of the year approaches

The Cook County Board of Commissioners has just one regular business meeting left before the Christmas holiday and the end of the year to finalize the budget and set a final levy for 2025.

Interim Administrator Rowan Watkins said that at the meeting held on the morning of Dec. 3, as well as the Truth in Taxation meeting that followed that evening, the board was continuing in an information collecting phase. He said that specific proposals had not been brought forward for cuts to the budget that was approved in September. That preliminary budget set the proposed levy at 9.81%.

The commissioners have stated that their goal is to bring the final levy down to 5%, and Watkins said that that remains the goal. The debate at the board level is whether to reduce the levy by using county fund balance and Payment in Lieu of Tax dollars, or to save more of that money for the projects that the county is planning for the coming years, and bring the levy down by cutting items in the proposed budget.

At the Truth in Taxation meeting, a public meeting held to allow residents to ask questions and give feedback on the proposed budget, Auditor Treasurer Braidy Powers presented the budget that was approved earlier this year, comparing it to previous years in a variety of categories. Assessor Bob Thompson was also present to answer questions about his department’s review process and respond to concerns that residents might have about market value of their properties. The meeting was sparsely attended, and included just one public comment made in-person, and one submitted in writing.

Until the board held a Truth in Taxation meeting, they were not able to make any final decisions about the 2025 budget. Now that it has been held, the board will have one more regular meeting to finalize the budget before the end of the year.

While the board works to wrap up the budget process, the county is also moving forward with the Capital Improvement Plan. The plan includes deferred maintenance, which Watkins said will continue throughout the winter, and the potential for expansion or renovation of several county buildings. The board opted earlier this year not to move forward with a Justice Center, but the Law Enforcement Center remains a building of concern. The board agreed that there are significant space and safety needs at the LEC, and they have contracted with BKV Group to develop architectural drawings for an expansion, and determine specific costs for the project. Watkins said that the county should see those final plans for review and approval in February.

The board is also in the process of hiring a new Administrator. County staff met with DDA, the HR firm that is contracted to help with the process, to talk about what qualities they would like to see in a candidate. The results of those interviews should be available to the board on Dec. 10, and they will have the option on Dec. 17 to adjust the current job description, as well as talk about a candidate profile. The county plans to post the opening at the end of December or early February.

WTIP’s Kirsten Wisniewski spoke with Interim Administrator Rowan Watkins about the most recent Board of Commissioners meeting. Audio of that interview is below.

Kirsten Wisniewski December 9, 2024