County Board begins 2025 levy considerations, explores courthouse and community center renovation options

Kirsten Wisniewski | June 13, 2024

The Jun. 11 meeting of the Cook County Board of Commissioners included several key updates on county projects. The Capital Improvement Plan (CIP) remains a topic of conversation for the board as they discuss how to move forward with building projects this year. The board is also working on collecting budget requests from different county entities in preparation for setting a preliminary levy in the fall.

CIP update

Cook County Administrator James Joerke told commissioners at the meeting that the county received several bids for roofing projects included in the CIP. The Colvill Townhall and the Cook County Historical Society Museum are both in line to get new roofs this summer. Joerke also mentioned that while the community center in Grand Marais is also due for a new roof, that project is being delayed. He told WTIP that changes to the community center are one option for meeting the space and security needs that the county has identified in the CIP. He explained that until decisions have been made about what type of renovations may occur at the community center, the county was opting to hold off on a new roof.

While the board investigates options for the community center, other parts of the plan are also under consideration. “Changes to the courthouse are definitely on the table,” Joerke said. “That’s part and parcel of the consideration the community center, is how can we reconfigure the space in the courthouse and also redo and add space to the community center to meet our space needs? Those two buildings are part parts of a whole.”

An additional element of the county’s effort to address space and safety needs is an expansion of the Law Enforcement Center. The board decided in April to pause planning of a justice center that would have included additions to the LEC, and the construction of a new judicial center to house the courtroom and related offices. Making renovations and additions to the LEC alone, however, has garnered support from the commissioners.

There is not an official plan in place at this time, but the board has expressed consensus in their interest in pursuing those improvements. Joerke said that since the board members agree on expanding the LEC, “The next steps would be for us to get some bids on doing a full architectural design process for that.” However, he could not provide a timeline for when the county may issue a request for proposals.

2025 levy planning

As the board contemplates addressing CIP needs, they are also already considering the 2025 budget. Departments and county-supported boards have begun submitting initial levy requests for next year. The Board of Commissioners will draft a budget in the fall to help predict the 2025 levy. It will be subject to change through the end of the year. The board will set the final levy in December.

At the Jun. 11 meeting, Joerke presented a list of preliminary requests for additional resources based on the draft budgets that have been submitted. He said that though the list was not complete at this time, he wanted to give commissioners an idea of what requests they would be voting on as early as possible. He hoped to allow them time for full consideration of the requests. Joerke added that many of the items on that list were based on furthering the county’s strategic plan. He said, “A lot of what you’re seeing on the list of potential requests for additional resources relate to the implementation of that plan, making sure that we are adequately staffed to do all the things that the board has said are organizational priorities.”

One of the priorities identified in that plan was to increase transparent communication between the county and constituents. Part of that effort was to use ClearGov, a program that allows governments to make information, like budget planning, accessible to the public. Additionally, it aims to make navigating that information easier for users. Joerke said that at this time the county is working on getting budget information uploaded to the program. Residents should have access to that information in the fall, just after the preliminary budget is set. Joerke said that the goal was for citizens to “have a chance to understand what the budget proposal is before the board sets the final budget and levy, and use that information to provide feedback to their commissioners on what they support and what they think maybe should be reconsidered.”

WTIP’s Kirsten Wisniewski spoke with Cook County Administrator James Joerke after the Jun. 11 meeting. Audio from that interview is below.