Public Meetings - Cook County, Illinois

The Cook County Board convened on October 22, 2026, to receive and file several items, including the OIIG quarterly report for the second quarter of 2026, a case disposition summary from the Civil Rights and Torts Section, and two additional items (26-2619 and 26-2620). The meeting began with a motion to return to open session from a closed session, followed by presentations and unanimous approvals. Discussion Items - OIIG Quarterly Report (Item 26-2031): Cook County Inspector General Terrell Paxton presented the OIIG quarterly report for the second quarter of 2026, issued on July 15, 2026. The report covered 30 completed investigations, of which 19 involved fraudulent PPP loans. Of those 19 PPP loan cases, 12 were attributed to Cook County Health and Hospital System employees, 3 to the Clerk's Office, 2 to the Public Defender's Office, and 2 to the Department of Transportation and Highway. All PPP loan allegations were sustained, with recommendations to place subjects on a do-not-hire list. The Public Defender's Office allowed resignations in lieu of termination and did not comment on inclusion in the do-not-hire list; the Clerk's Office had no such list. An assessor's office employee obtained a fraudulent loan while at Cook County Health, prompting a recommendation for a reciprocity agreement to be spearheaded by the President's Office. In total, the OIIG has closed 354 PPP loan fraud cases, reported 136 cases in quarterly reports involving over $3.1 million in fraudulent loans, and referred all sustained cases for prosecution. Non-PPP investigations identified systemic weaknesses in the Assessor's Office assessment and exemption programs, including inconsistent policy application, inadequate verification, missing documentation, improper reductions, and insufficient internal controls, leading to misclassification, unsupported tax relief, and improper tax savings. Three investigations involving county officials found issues ranging from inconsistent administrative practices to ethics and political activity violations, including a Border Review official who refused to cooperate and an elected official engaging in prohibited political activity on county property. Recommendations included clearer procedures, improved transparency, and required ethics training. - Case Disposition Summary (Item 26-2613): The board received and filed the case disposition summary from the Civil Rights and Torts Section. - Items 26-2619 and 26-2620: The board received and filed these two additional items without discussion. Key Outcomes - Item 26-2031 (OIIG Quarterly Report): Motion to receive and file made by Vice Chair Lowry, seconded by Commissioner Trevor. Approved unanimously by voice vote (ayes all present). - Item 26-2613 (Case Disposition Summary): Motion to receive and file made by Vice Chair Lowry, seconded by Commissioner Degnan. Approved unanimously. - Items 26-2619 and 26-2620: Motion to receive and file made by Vice Chair Lowry, seconded by Commissioner Degnan. Approved unanimously. - Adjournment: Motion to adjourn made by Vice Chair Lowry, seconded by Commissioner Trevor. Approved unanimously.

The Finance Committee of the Cook County Board convened on October 22, 2026, at 9:15 AM. Chairperson Daly presided. A quorum was present. The committee heard public testimony, received financial reports, and approved several contracts and grants totaling over $8 million. Public Comments & Testimony - Chela Garcia, a visually impaired community organizer from Little Village, spoke in strong support of the county's guaranteed income program. She highlighted personal struggles with poverty and stated that the $7.5 million allocated in the 2027 budget is a floor, not a ceiling. She cited statistics: 75% of pilot participants felt more financially secure, 70% reported better mental health, and 94% could handle an unexpected emergency. She urged expansion of funding. - Ian Tobin, Vice President of the Lincoln Square Ravenswood Chamber of Commerce (SSA 21), expressed concern over continued delays and shortfalls in property tax disbursements to Chicago's Special Service Areas. He noted a $133,000 shortfall from the 2024 levy and stated that the county's vendor Tyler Technologies could not provide a resolution date. He requested a clear accounting, a timeline, and equal attention to Chicago taxing bodies. - George Blakebourne was registered but did not appear. Financial Reports - Controller's Report (Item 26-2556): Cyril Thomas, Comptroller, reported for the nine months ended August 31, 2026: General fund had a favorable net budget variance of $320.2 million ($256 million favorable revenue variance, $64.2 million favorable expense variance). Health fund had an unfavorable net budget variance of $75.1 million ($26 million favorable revenue, $101.1 million unfavorable expense). State of Illinois owed the county $82.4 million, including $71.3 million to the general fund. The federal government canceled $1.2 million in one-time grants. - Cook County Health Report (Item 26-1608): Scott Spencer, interim CFO, reported that CCH is $75 million unfavorable to budget, driven by higher uncompensated care estimated at $400 million for the year. However, the health system anticipates a small surplus. Past due capitation from the state is $7.3 million. Dish payments are timely. Discussion Items - Juvenile Justice Collaborative Deferred Prosecution Program (Item 26-2251): Commissioner Lowry moved to approve an interagency grant agreement with the Office of the Chief Judge and the Cook County Justice Advisory Council, and a sub-recipient agreement with Lurie's Children's Hospital for continuation of the program (fiscal impact $1 million). Commissioner Degnan asked for confirmation of State's Attorney's Office support. Robert Klein, Deputy Bureau Chief in the Juvenile Justice Bureau, confirmed strong collaboration since 2020, anticipating up to 250 referrals per year. The program has a waiting list. Approved. - Contracts for Juvenile Probation and Housing Services: - Item 26-2245: Contract amendment with Northwestern School of Medicine for clinical assessment and forensic services for court-involved youth, increase of $2,307,736. - Item 26-2248: Contract with Henry's Sober Living, $2,701,000. - Item 26-2249: Contract with St. Leonard's Ministries for \"No Place to Stay\" housing services, $273,750. - Item 26-2250: Contract with JAMS YAMS Hope Community Center for \"No Place to Stay\" housing services, $2,737,500. Commissioner Lowry highlighted a total commitment of over $5 million for housing services. Commissioner Scott voted aye on all except present on item 26-2248. Consent Calendar - Approval of September 2026 Finance Committee meeting minutes (Items 26-2591 and 26-2624). - Receive and file quarterly report (Item 26-2475) and approve special court cases, proposed settlements, and various workers' compensation and claims reports (Items 26-2510, 26-2513, 26-2584, 26-2494, 26-2995). All approved unanimously. Key Outcomes - All items on the agenda were approved, with one commissioner recording a present vote on contract 26-2248. - The committee passed motions to receive and file financial reports and approve contracts and grants totaling over $8 million. - The meeting adjourned following a motion by Commissioner Lowry, seconded by Commissioner Britton.

The Cook County Health and Hospitals Committee met on October 20, 2026, at approximately 1 p.m. with a quorum present. The Chair announced flu and COVID vaccinations for commissioners and staff on Thursday, October 22, 2026, from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. in Room 885. No written agenda or minutes were available; this summary is based on the transcript, which ends during the health department presentation. Procedural Actions - Commissioner Britton moved, seconded by Chairman Daly, to allow remote participation by commissioners not present in the chamber; the motion was approved by roll call with 10 ayes and 7 absent. - No additions to the agenda were made. - Vice Chair Naya moved, seconded by Chairman Daly, approval of the minutes from the Health and Hospitals Committee meeting held on September 22, 2026 (Item 26-2636); the motion was approved by voice vote. Public Comments & Testimony - Reverend Don Abram was registered as a speaker but did not respond when called. - George Blakemore, the only speaker, expressed opposition to undocumented immigrants receiving health care, services, contracts, and jobs in Cook County, arguing they compete with native Black residents. He criticized Black elected officials for supporting this, and raised concerns about emergency room conditions, floating nurses, and enforcement of speaking-time limits at meetings. Discussion Items - Commissioner Miller, the main sponsor of Item 23-3815, spoke in favor of continuing regular briefings on COVID-19 and other diseases of concern. She stated that the federal government is "not following science" and "not giving us guidance," that residents need a trusted local source, and that public health does not take a break. She thanked Dr. Joshi for providing evidence-based data down to the zip-code and community level. - Vice Chair Naya moved to defer Item 23-3815, which requested an update from Cook County Health and the Cook County Department of Public Health on COVID-19 and other diseases of concern, immunization, and mitigation plans in suburban Cook County. The motion was seconded by Commissioner Miller and approved by voice vote. - Dr. Kieran Joshi presented the update for the Cook County Department of Public Health (CCDPH): - Respiratory viruses: the season is very early; flu is starting to trend up; there were two ICU admissions for COVID-19 the prior week; an updated COVID-19 vaccine has been released and vaccination was encouraged. - Measles: a traveler diagnosed with measles entered Chicago on an Amtrak train in September, exposing dozens of people at Union Station and on the train. CCDPH contact-traced and investigated 21 suburban contacts, with quarantine required for at least 21 days from last exposure when immunity could not be confirmed. - Community vaccination: immunization rates in suburban Cook County have declined over roughly the last decade, but increased last year. Clinics are being held at five suburban ACHN sites, and campaigns such as "Every Vaccine Counts" and "Spread Facts, Not Flu" are underway. Dr. Joshi described vaccine misinformation as a "tsunami or tidal wave." - West Nile / mosquito abatement district coordination: CCDPH is coordinating with four mosquito abatement districts following an assessment requested by a resolution sponsored by Commissioner Degnan. - Dr. Joshi indicated he would speak about "plague" as a recent hot topic, but the transcript ends before those details were provided. Key Outcomes - Remote participation and minutes approval passed unanimously. - Item 23-3815 was deferred by voice vote. - CCDPH will continue its vaccination clinics, public vaccination campaigns, measles contact tracing, and mosquito abatement coordination. Further details from the presentation were not available because the transcript ends mid-presentation.

The Finance Subcommittee on Workers' Compensation of Cook County met on October 20, 2026, at 11:30 a.m. Commissioners present: Marita, Vasquez, and the Chair; McCasco absent, Morrison excused. A quorum was met. The meeting consisted of public comment, approval of minutes, and approval of settlements. Consent Calendar - Approval of Minutes: The subcommittee unanimously approved the minutes from the September 23, 2026 meeting (Item 2621) by voice vote, moved by Commissioner Vasquez and seconded by Commissioner Marita. - Approval of Settlements: The subcommittee unanimously approved a list of 26 workers' compensation settlements (Items 262538, 262550, 262319, 262549, 262539, 262326, 262456, 262414, 262544, 262532, 262508, 262424, 262541, 262472, 262535, 262337, 262540, 262509, 262547, 262544, 262524, 262558, 262530, 262551, 262450, 262537) as recommended by the State's Attorney. The motion was made by Commissioner Marita and seconded by Commissioner Vasquez. Public Comments & Testimony - George Blake War (named in roll call; referred to as Blake Moore by the speaker): The speaker criticized the lack of order in meetings, alleging that a Board of Review member who is also an attorney may be steering workers' compensation cases to his law firm. He requested paper agendas for senior attendees, objecting to the digital-only format, and expressed distrust of the meeting process and timekeeping. Other Business - Errata and Supplemental Agenda: The secretary noted an errata for Item 26250 (removal of duplicate file) and a supplemental agenda for Items 262450 and 262537. No action was taken on these items. Key Outcomes - Minutes Approved: Item 2621 approved unanimously. - Settlements Approved: 26 settlements approved unanimously. - Adjournment: The meeting adjourned after the motions, with no further business.

The Cook County Audit Committee met at 11:00 AM on October 20, 2026. The chair called the meeting to order, a quorum was established, and a motion to allow remote participation passed unanimously among present members. The committee then heard public comment, approved prior minutes, received an audit report on ARPA behavioral health funding, and approved an amendment to the county audit standards. Roll Call and Remote Participation - Commissioners McCaskill and Vasquez were initially listed as absent, and Commissioner Sean Morrison was excused. Commissioner Vasquez later voted remotely. - A motion by Commissioner Anaya, seconded by Commissioner Miller, to permit remote participation passed with 15 ayes; Commissioner McCaskill was absent and Commissioner Sean Morrison was excused. Public Comments & Testimony - George Blake Moore spoke and expressed strong criticism of the government, the audit process, and the upcoming election. He said the system is broken, called the election a "dog and pony show," and questioned why Black voters would support officials who bring in outside people to use county resources, contracts, and jobs. He indicated he might not vote, then said he would vote. His time expired and he was gaveled out. Discussion Items - Approval of Minutes (Item 26-2608): Commissioner Anaya moved, Commissioner Trevor seconded, and the committee approved the minutes from the September 23, 2026 meeting by voice vote. - ARPA Behavioral Health Support and Expansion Program Review (Item 26-2040): County Auditor Heath Wolf presented the Office of the County Auditor's report dated July 21, 2026. The audit covered December 1, 2023 through November 30, 2024 and evaluated monitoring over the use of ARPA funds. Three observations were cited: - Among 67 files reviewed, there was missing documentation or items that did not reconcile. - Some employees who worked on ARPA programs were not on the provided list, some employees' percentage-of-time forms did not total 100%, and Quarters 3 and 4 forms were missing from the Bureau of Finance's SharePoint site. - Eight subrecipients spent 66% of the fiscal year 2022-2024 ARPA funds for the program but served only 8.45% of program participants. - Dr. Joshi, representing the Cook County Department of Public Health, responded. He thanked the auditor, concurred with some findings, did not concur where documentation existed in GovGrants, and said corrective actions for observation two were completed. He argued that counting unique participants does not capture the intensity, duration, or frequency of services, and he provided examples: Big Brothers Big Sisters Chicago served only 12 participants in 2024 but served 143 youth over the full grant, including 100 African American and 27 Latino youth, expanded into 28 communities, established 26 school partnerships, and 88% of served youth showed growth in positive behaviors. The Asian Health Coalition served 27 people in FY24 but 243 over the grant, developed eight multilingual resource guides, collected 300 survey responses, and reached 96,000 people through media campaigns. - Chair Degnan and Commissioner Daly asked how the county verifies subrecipient outcomes and whether indirect reach can be better documented. Dr. Joshi said the department is in ongoing dialogue with grantees and will conduct a comprehensive evaluation of the program, which will be shared with the committee. - The motion by Commissioner Anaya, seconded by Commissioner Scott, to receive and file the item passed by roll call with 15 ayes; Commissioner McCaskill was absent and Commissioner Sean Morrison was excused. - Audit Standards Amendment (Item 26-2113): Auditor Wolf proposed amending the audit standards ordinance to change the requirement to follow both the Yellow Book (Generally Accepted Government Auditing Standards) and the Red Book (Institute of Internal Auditors Global Internal Audit Standards) to an "or" standard, allowing the county auditor to choose the appropriate standard for each engagement. He explained that following both on every audit is burdensome, that over 70% of audits would fall under the Yellow Book, and that a peer review is planned for calendar year 2027. - The motion by Commissioner Anaya, seconded by Commissioner Britton, to approve the ordinance amendment passed by roll call with 15 ayes; Commissioner McCaskill was absent and Commissioner Sean Morrison was excused. Key Outcomes - Motion to allow remote participation approved. - Minutes from September 23, 2026 approved. - ARPA Behavioral Health Support and Expansion Program Review received and filed. - Audit standards ordinance amendment approved, changing the auditor's required standards from "and" to "or." - Commissioner Vasquez moved to adjourn, Commissioner Gaynor seconded, and the meeting adjourned.

On October 15, 2026, the Cook County Board's recess committee reconvened for a public hearing on the fiscal year 2027 budget. No agenda or minutes were available, so this summary is based solely on the raw transcript. The hearing was held in person and virtually, with American Sign Language and Spanish interpretation available. Members and staff heard testimony from nonprofit leaders, service providers, municipal officials, and residents on proposed funding for health, economic development, public safety, legal aid, housing, transportation, and county programs. No formal votes were taken during the hearing. Public Comments & Testimony - Economic development and small business: Terrence Johnson, executive director at Greenwood Archer Capital, thanked the Bureau of Economic Development for grants to CDFIs that support small businesses in underserved south and west side and southern suburban communities, and urged commissioners to approve additional appropriations. Sam Toy, president and CEO of the Illinois Restaurant Association, urged maintaining strong, consistent funding for the Cook County Small Business Source, citing the industry's support of more than 585,000 Illinois jobs, roughly 10,000 business engagements since July 2021, and nearly 2,000 businesses served in 2026. - Health care, behavioral health, and Cook County Health: Several speakers supported the FY27 Cook County Health budget and community health investments. Dee Atkins of Thresholds cited a 76% reduction in future emergency department visits among participants in an assertive community linkage program, with 70% of participants experiencing homelessness moved into housing. Nathan Calvacoda of A Safe Haven highlighted Stronger Together results over 18 months: 250 clients served, 100 completed paid vocational training, 85 engaged in substance use or mental health treatment, and 50 placed in full-time jobs. Dr. Randy Sadler of UCAN Chicago spoke in strong support of behavioral health funding. A representative of the Chinese American Service League said CASL served more than 660 behavioral health clients last year and voiced concern that the proposed FY27 budget does not explicitly allocate funding for the Stronger Together initiative, whose current grant ends this fall. - 211 and law library: Jackie Rosa of United Way of Metro Chicago asked continued support for 211 Metro Chicago, a free 24/7/365 referral helpline that has fielded more than 700,000 contacts since January 2023. Jessica Wamasi of the Chicago Bar Foundation supported the Cook County Law Library, noting nearly 46,000 annual visitors, nearly half without lawyers, and 5.3% overall visit growth and almost 30% growth in visits from people without lawyers this fiscal year. - Violence prevention and re-entry: Selena Smith of Grow Community thanked the county for a $500,000 Survivor of Gun Violence grant through the South Suburban Justice Advisory Council, reporting 317 individuals served, 174 completions, 124 currently enrolled, and a 90% completion rate. A representative of ZAMPS Hope Community Resource Center supported the Justice Advisory Council's No Place to Stay program, describing it as a 'pre-entry' re-entry program. - Immigration legal defense: Multiple speakers with the Defenders for All Coalition asked the county to expand the Public Defender's immigration division to 25 dedicated attorneys. Reina Toscano (Resurrection Project), Yaire Torduño (PASO West Suburban Action Project), Dahlia Rodeki (Resurrection Project), Jocelyn Crea (PASO), and Esther Martinez (Southwest Organizing Project) shared personal and community stories of detention, deportation, and difficulty finding trustworthy representation. Kelly Fuentes, affiliated with PASO West Suburban Action Project, described lacking economic resources for a private lawyer and long waits for legal assistance. Rodeki described her son-in-law's seven-month detention and eventual self-deportation; Crea said her aunt paid more than $30,000 to an attorney who turned out to be a scammer. Fasika Alam of the United African Organization urged continued and expanded funding, citing recent federal changes affecting refugees and TPS holders. - Veterans Assistance Commission: Michael Tooman, Dutch DeGrout, and Jennifer Glenn urged increased funding for the Veterans Assistance Commission of Cook County. DeGrout said the VACC brought in $16 million in VA compensation—almost five times its budget—and provided 922 emergency financial assistance services in one quarter, among other figures. Glenn described receiving emergency help from the VACC within 24 hours. - Guaranteed income: Taylor Tremil (Workers Center for Racial Justice/Union for Guaranteed Income), Aurora Gonzalez, Jamal Jackson, and Chella Garcia (Union for Guaranteed Income) supported continued and expanded funding for Cook County's permanent guaranteed income program, citing the historic $7.5 million allocation, the need for timely implementation before winter, community transparency, and additional funding. Jackson cited the Cook County Promise pilot: 3,250 households received $500 per month for two years, 75% felt more financially secure, 94% said the money helped with an emergency, 56% reported less stress, and over $8 million went to local businesses. Gonzalez noted the program has not yet reached residents. - Domestic violence services: Kayla Posley of The Network, Katie Brown and Amanda Spannheimer of Crisis Center for South Suburbia, and Elizabeth Grask of Legal Aid Society/Metropolitan Family Services supported the proposed $5 million FY27 commitment to domestic violence services through the Justice Advisory Council. Posley reported nearly 40,000 hotline contacts from Cook County residents, a 30% increase from 2024; Brown noted the Crisis Center's shelter represents 33% of dedicated DV shelter beds in the suburbs and that JAC funding enabled service to more than 1,500 survivors and support to 4,600 through law enforcement outreach. Grask said LAS serves more than 1,100 survivors annually and urged substantial investment. - Workers' rights and Healthy Work Initiative: Tim Bell and Sandra Fernandez (Chicago Workers Collaborative), Marco Seniceros (Warehouse Workers for Justice), Angie (Latino Union of Chicago), Ana Waharda (Centro de Trabajadores Unidos), and Sophia Zaman (Raise the Floor Alliance) urged continued funding for the Healthy Work Initiative. They cited more than 50,000 vulnerable workers assisted over three years; warehouse cases involving wage theft, heat/cold illness, harassment, and discrimination; and Zaman cited COVID-era disparities: Black residents accounted for 36% of COVID-related deaths, Latinx residents' rates rose by nearly 54%, compared with a 10% increase for white residents. Zaman also said the program reached 435,000 individuals, trained 66,000, and tracked over 400 violations. - Transportation and infrastructure: Alex Perez (Active Transportation Alliance) supported continued CCDPH partnership to help 14 suburban communities compete for ITEP funding, noting $157 million in state funding and that pedestrians and cyclists account for 25% of fatal and serious crashes. Melinda Metzger of PACE thanked the county for Invest in Cook grants totaling $180,000 for a Northwest Cook on Demand zone and $176,000 for a transit lane along Surmac Road. Tim Class, Village of Summit engineer, praised Build Up Cook for sewer lining, water audits, and helping secure almost $13 million for lead service replacement. Scott Kinsey of Smart Elevators supported continued elevator, escalator, and ADA lift maintenance. Vicky Pisenko of Evanston Animal Shelter supported Cook County Rabies and Animal Control, mentioning animal intakes and free vaccination and microchipping clinics. - Budget support/residents: Vicky Brown, Dr. Linda Abington, Frank Pabilnik (Mayor of Posen), Christy DeLaurentis (South Suburban Mayors and Managers), Lonnie Swilly (PLCCA), Rabbi Wolf, and Apostle Lawrence Blackfoot spoke in support of the proposed FY27 budget. Brown and Abington praised balancing fiscal responsibility with compassion and no additional taxes; Abington noted no property tax increase and a $550 million gap filled with reserves. Pabilnik thanked the county for infrastructure investments and asked the board to approve the 2027 budget. DeLaurentis, representing 39 south suburban communities, opposed property tax increases and supported the budget. Swilly/PLCCA supported the Cook County Health and County Care budget. Rabbi Wolf praised the Medical Examiner's Office for compassionate service to religious communities. Blackfoot supported affordable housing investments in South Suburban communities. - Concerns/opposition: George Blakemore criticized the hearing, alleging that county funding to nonprofit organizations amounts to vote-buying, questioning how program effectiveness would be measured, and making derogatory comments about immigrants and elected officials. Key Outcomes - No formal votes or decisions were made during this hearing; it was a public testimony session for the FY2027 budget process. - Speakers overwhelmingly urged the board to maintain or increase funding for programs including the Small Business Source, Stronger Together, Healthy Work Initiative, the Public Defender's immigration division, Veterans Assistance Commission, guaranteed income, domestic violence services, and infrastructure programs. - The board received testimony in person and virtually, with translation services available.

Cook County held a public hearing on the proposed Fiscal Year 2027 budget on October 15, 2026, chaired by Financial Chairman Daly. The meeting was dedicated entirely to public testimony, with over twenty speakers representing community organizations, advocacy coalitions, and municipal partners offering support for various county programs and requesting specific funding allocations. All members of the board were present. Behavioral Health and Opioid Crisis Response - Reverend Fanya Burford Berry (Director, Westside Heroin Opioid Task Force) expressed strong support for the FY2027 budget for Cook County Health. She highlighted the Courageous Conversation Initiative, which engaged 260 Black men through wisdom circles, and thanked the Office of Behavioral Health for their partnership. Immigration Legal Services - Numerous speakers from the Defenders for All Coalition advocated for expanding the Cook County Public Defender's immigration division to 25 attorneys. Speakers included Crystal Quevedo (Resurrection Project/DACA recipient), Simone Penya (Resurrection Project), Seth Moland-Kobash (Partners for our Communities), Nina Cedenio (Latino Policy Forum), and Norma Bautista (La Casa ID). They argued the expansion is essential to protect due process for immigrant communities facing increased federal enforcement. Veterans Services - Frank Gutiérrez (President, Veterans Assistance Commission of Cook County) requested support for a revised FY2027 budget request of $4,585,790.10, having reduced their initial request by over $1 million. He emphasized growing demand, noting they provided nearly $850,000 in direct assistance to 3,400 veterans and proposing $2 million in direct financial assistance. George Gandara (Veteran and VAC volunteer) also urged continued funding for homeless veterans and the VAC. Violence Prevention and Community Safety - Jose Luis Torres (Rincon Family Services) expressed appreciation for the Community Violence Intervention Grant Initiative, requesting sustained multi-year investments. Pastor Phil Jackson (Firehouse Community Arts Center) reported that the county's CVI investment correlated with a 63% decrease in fatal shootings and 80% decrease in non-fatal shootings in North Lawndale over five years. Bob Jackson (ROSE and CeaseFire) requested continued funding for their South Suburban violence prevention work. Domestic Violence Prevention and Services - Madeline Baer (Network, advocating against domestic violence) and Julia Wiener (Family Rescue) strongly supported the proposed $5 million commitment for domestic violence services administered by the Justice Advisory Council. Baer highlighted a 30% increase in calls to the Illinois Domestic Violence Hotline, which received nearly 40,000 contacts from Cook County. Economic Development and Housing - Yvonne Orr (Cornerstone CDC) urged sustained support for the Transforming Places program and creative placemaking. Karen Freeman Wilson (Chicago Urban League) praised the SOuRCE program for supporting small businesses. Bruce Suggs thanked the board for the water leak repair program which helped his family. Public Health - McKenna Mason (Respiratory Health Association) supported the FY2027 budget for the Cook County Department of Public Health, noting a vaping prevention program reaching over 2,000 students. Dr. Sheila Martin (Primary care provider) praised CountyCare and the county budget on behalf of over 32,000 primary care providers. April Thompson (Cornerstone CDC) highlighted partnerships with Cook County Health for community health fairs serving over 300 residents. Emergency Management and First Responder Training - Chad Vliestra (Prairie State College) thanked the board for the Urban Area Security Initiative grant, which allowed the college to train and certify 165 first responders in hazardous materials and emergency response. Community Heritage and Other Services - Rodney Harrington (Midwest Underground Railroad Network) requested dedicated funding to preserve and interpret the county's Underground Railroad history. Richard Leprat (211 Metro Chicago) thanked the county for its partnership, noting the helpline has handled over 700,000 contacts and directed $550,000 in aid. Key Outcomes - The meeting was a structured public hearing on the FY2027 budget; no formal votes or board deliberations were captured in the provided transcript. - A unified request from multiple speakers was the expansion of the Public Defender's immigration division to 25 attorneys. - Speakers broadly expressed support for the FY2027 budget and requested the continuation or expansion of funding for behavioral health, violence prevention, domestic violence services, veterans assistance, and economic development.

Chair Seth Rao called the meeting to order at 2:01 p.m. with a quorum of three of the board's four members present. The board approved the agenda and the March 10 open meeting minutes, received the director's quarterly report and an outreach/training update, entered executive session, and returned for roll-call votes on two investigations and a vote on publishing closed minutes. No agenda or minutes for this meeting were included in the source materials; no public comments were offered. The meeting adjourned at 2:51 p.m. Consent Calendar - The agenda was approved unanimously by voice vote after a motion by the vice chair and a second by Member Siegel. - The regular meeting open minutes from March 10 were approved unanimously with no corrections. Discussion Items - Director's report: The acting director reported that the board is halfway through the second quarter. Stats: four investigations open; seven requests for investigation denied as outside the scope of the ethics ordinance; nine advisories and staff opinions issued; 33 inquiries received, on par with the previous two quarters; 57 employees trained; four subcommittee on litigation advisories completed; and 85 contract compliance reviews conducted. In response to a board member's question, the director said no workload uptick related to the primary election had been observed, and the volume has been consistent with the last two quarters. - Outreach and training update: The outreach and training coordinator reported that on March 13, an email reminder about the election prohibition period and the prohibited political activity guidance video was sent to 20,000 Cook County employees and elected officials using GovDelivery, with just over 8,000 total opens and 35% unique opens. Planned work includes drafting guidance on campaign contributions to explain the campaign contribution audit process, drafting guidance on requesting staff advisory opinions, updating gift ban disclosure guidance to clarify when gifts must be reported regardless of dollar amount, exceptions, and the prohibition on cash-equivalent gifts, and posting new materials on the ethics website. A Q3 ethics lunch-and-learn is targeted for July 2026, with an FAQ format and confidential in-person advisory opinions available. The FY26 online annual ethics training will invite the Cook County Clerk's Office, the Cook County Treasurer's Office, and the State's Attorney's Office, as part of a goal to include all county agencies by FY2029. - Training logistics discussion: Board members asked about hybrid options for the lunch-and-learn. The coordinator said in-person/hybrid is being considered, but an advisory opinion would require appearing in person. Board members also asked about confidential Zoom or Teams breakout rooms for advisory opinions; the coordinator said this had not yet been worked out and would be followed up on, and board members suggested Teams breakout rooms or separate in-person and Zoom sessions. - Executive session: The board entered executive session at 2:48 p.m. and resumed in open session for the following votes and clarification. - Closed meeting minutes publication: The board voted unanimously to publish the December 16, 2025 closed meeting minutes with redactions to protect the privacy of individuals involved. - Investigation requests 2026-I005 and 2026-I006: The board held separate roll-call votes and unanimously approved opening investigations in both matters. - Closed meeting minutes deferred: No motion was made to approve the March 10, 2026 regular meeting closed minutes because a section needs to be added; the item will come back for approval at the next meeting. Key Outcomes - Agenda and March 10 open meeting minutes approved unanimously. - December 16, 2025 closed meeting minutes approved for publication with redactions. - Investigations 2026-I005 and 2026-I006 opened by unanimous roll-call votes (3-0). - March 10, 2026 closed meeting minutes deferred pending addition of a section. - Meeting adjourned at 2:51 p.m. after a unanimous motion.

The Finance Committee of the Cook County Board convened on October 8, 2026, to consider the Fiscal Year 2027 executive budget recommendation and related items. The meeting included roll call, approval of remote participation for commissioners, and the scheduling of public hearings and departmental reviews for the budget process. Public Comments & Testimony - No public speakers were present at this meeting. Discussion Items - The committee heard the reading of the schedule of public hearings (scheduled for October 15, 2026, at 12 p.m. and 5 p.m.) and departmental hearings (scheduled from October 27–30, 2026) as part of the FY2027 budget process. The schedule was posted online and public participation options were outlined. Key Outcomes - Remote Participation Approved: The committee voted 16–0 (with 1 excused absence) to allow members not physically present to participate remotely. - Budget Hearing Schedule Approved: The committee unanimously approved (17–0) the schedule of public hearings and departmental hearings for the FY2027 executive budget recommendations.