The Finance Committee of the Kirk County Board will come to order and the secretary will call the role.

Commissioner Aguilar.

Commissioner Naya.

Commissioner Britton.

Is I'm sorry.

So Commissioner Britton is absent.

Commissioner Degnan is present.

Thank you, ma'am.

Commissioner Gainer is absent.

Commissioner Laurie.

Thank you.

Commissioner McCaskill.

Thank you.

Commissioner Miller.

Miller here.

Thank you.

Commissioner Moore is absent.

Commissioner Moore is excused.

Thank you for that.

Commissioner Moore is excused.

Commissioner Marita.

Thank you.

Commissioner Kevin Morrison is absent.

Commissioner Sean Morrison is excused.

Commissioner Scott.

Present.

Commissioner Stamps.

Excuse.

Okay.

Commissioner Stamps did submit a notice for remote participation.

She is trying to connect, but until then, I will mark her as absent.

Commissioner Trevor.

Thank you.

Commissioner Vasquez.

Mr.

Chairman, Ms.

Chairman Daly is present.

Chairman, let me revisit those that did not respond.

We have an absence for Commissioner Britton.

We have an absence for Commissioner Gaynor.

Excused absence for Commissioner Moore.

Commissioner Kevin Morrison is absent.

And then excused absences for Commissioner Sean Morrison and Commissioner Stamps until she has connected.

So at some point, sir, when she connects, we will require a remote participation roll call.

Commissioner Stamps, yes.

As of now there's no need.

As of now there is no need, correct.

Any corrections to the agenda.

Chairman, I have no corrections except for a second substitute for the so that will be offered by the sponsor.

Thank you.

The sponsor will ask.

Act on that one.

We'll begin with public speakers.

Sir, one more thing.

There is uh and that item that number is 26 15.

26 1251.

And there is another substitute for 26 15 14 and a substitute for 261784.

Okay.

We'll begin with public speakers.

And please add Commissioner Kevin Morris into the roll call.

Yes, sir.

Uh we have turned on.

Train non esty.

Are you in the room?

Yes.

Please come to the public speaking mic.

You have three minutes to address the body, and I'll keep time for you.

Were those then?

The substitutes you were referring to?

Good morning, everyone.

My name is Trayvon Estee.

I'm a citywide educator.

A proud CPS alumnus and a product of Chicago public schools.

The same school system that raised me.

Is the one I have the privilege of serving.

Today also stand before you as an advocate for students, especially those receiving special education services.

I'm here because Chicago Public Schools deserves the 400 million it is owed.

And while CPS waits for delayed property tax revenue, our district I've also had to organize fundraisers to buy basic equipment such as jerseys and basketballs.

These things are not luxuries.

Athletics and extracurricular activities keep students engaged, teaches discipline, builds confidence, and often provide a safe place for after school.

When we cut these opportunities, we are cutting hope.

Release the funds.

Thank you.

Next, tell the Chine.

Good morning.

So the parents, fathers, mothers in the room.

My name is Brenda Corbin, and I was a first year special education teacher at Ida B.

Wells Preparatory School.

It is approximately one of 30 elementary slash middle IB schools in CPS.

I am also a proud parent of a Limbloom graduate.

I'm here today, unlike most here, because I was called into the principal's office on the last day, last week of school, and informed that they would have to cut special education positions.

That is a direct impact on a promise I made to my students.

You see, as a first-year teacher, my students grew in some cases by over a hundred points on their test scores.

It is one of the first times my students did not label themselves as special.

I made a promise to them that we would resume our learning and continue our growth this coming school year.

Well, that promise won't be kept unless you release immediately the 400 million O to CPS.

Please help me keep my promise to the most vulnerable and consistently impacted students in my classroom.

Because my students today, believe it or not, they're the adults of tomorrow.

So, in closing, I say unto you, inasmuch as you have done it unto one of the least of these, you have done it unto me.

And we can't wait any longer because I heard somebody say when you say wait to us, that means never.

Thank you, next speaker.

Tell us your name.

Followed by Linda Simmons, then Cynthia.

Cynthia, I can't read your last name, I'm sorry.

Pollanar.

Thank you.

So, Elizabeth, please begin.

Good morning.

My name is Elizabeth Lundine.

I'm a second grade CPS teacher on the West Side.

I've been teaching in Chicago for the past 10 years.

Prior to moving to Chicago, I had the ability to teach in South Korea, a country that chooses to invest in education, and consequently is consistently ranked in the top five countries in education globally.

I have seen what it looks like to teach in a school where students receive the resources and the support they need to thrive.

Upon moving to Chicago and having the privilege to teach on the West Side, my greatest shock and disappointment was the disinvestment in our schools.

I have worked in schools without libraries, our teachers, or nurses.

I have worked in buildings that are falling down, literally.

This is absolutely unacceptable.

Our school needs you to release the 400 million dollars from last year that you owe us.

I know what proper funding can do for our students.

Our students deserve books, classroom material, and fully funded buildings.

Due to budget cuts last year, my school lost a 20-plus year music educator.

Her position was never properly filled, resulting in rotating daily subs.

After losing the only five fine arts educator, we saw an increase in behavioral issues and students returning to classes, dysregulated and not ready to learn.

We also lost our interventionist, a position meant to support our Gen Ed students with the greatest academic needs.

Losing this position put additional stress on all our classroom teachers as we struggle to find time to meet individually with students who need additional instruction.

We are also expecting to be down a social worker for the upcoming school year, which is distressing as we experienced multiple mental health crises this last year that required licensed professionals to assess support and provide follow-up services.

To avoid these and further cuts, you must release the $4 million and join us in pressuring government Governor Pritzker to hold a special session and tax the billionaires.

As the richest country in the world, there is no reason for our schools to continue to go unfunded.

Next speaker, tell us your name.

Dr.

Linda Simmons.

Please begin.

Yes.

Good morning.

My name is Dr.

Linda Simmons, as I previously mentioned.

I am a proud alumnus of CPS.

I was educated from K through 12.

I was affording an amazing time as a student, which led me to receive three masters and eventually my doctorate.

I worked in a business world, then I decided to go back and invest in those who invested in me.

So that's why I found myself back in CPS.

I am a clinical social worker there.

I work very closely with the special education department.

I thought I could write something out, but what comes from the heart reaches the heart.

I work with young children whose parents one day told them, maybe the doctor's appointment that your child won't learn the same way.

Maybe they'll never reach the potential as their peers who are also born in that same year.

I have to look them in their eyes at that IEP table as we prepare those IEPs to let them know there is hope.

We can get your child to a potential where you and your child can be successful.

However, with the cuts in special ad, now I have to go back to that same table with that legal document, which is an individual educational plan and tell them we cannot implement it.

That's illegal.

We need the board to immediately release the 400 million dollars to our children.

It's not about CTU.

It's about the city of Chicago, the parents who vote for the county board members.

It's about the students of CPS who do all they can to thrive in the midst of gunfire, death, burglary, drugs, all of this.

They still come to our schools every day.

Willing to learn.

We have to do better.

I'm pleading with you to join us to talk to Prince and the government.

We need our two billion dollars.

We cannot afford to have the whole world look at the richest city, the richest state.

And I mean, rich means that CPS, the third largest school district, they look at us.

And we cannot tell them we've been given a blank check by our county, by our state.

You say no child left behind.

This is how you leave children behind by underfunding their schools, taking their teachers out, allowing our brown and black children to have to be bust to schools because their schools are no longer in their neighborhoods.

I ask you to join me on the right side of history at 1201, July the 15th will become history.

Where do you want to stand?

I want to stand on what's right for the children of the city of Chicago.

Thank you.

Cynthia Palomaris is next.

After Cynthia is Alex Rodriguez, then Tanisha Higgins.

Good morning.

My name is Cynthia Palomares.

And I am a Chicago native, CPS alum and a proud bilingual educator in the Pilson community.

But today I am here on behalf of all the communities in Illinois.

Our schools continue to be underfunded, and each year we lose the supports that barely exist in our buildings.

Today, a friend who's also a special education teacher is awaiting to hear if her position has been impacted.

It is anticipated that about hundreds of other special educators will lose their positions because of the lack of funding and disinvestment from our state.

What this means to our classrooms come this fall is that a teacher like me won't be able to con on an experienced educator that can provide modifications to the students with disabilities.

It also means that a student will sit in the classroom without being able to access their learning equitably.

That is why I'm here today on behalf of the students and families I serve in Chicago to include them in the Cook County's bridge fund program.

Every dollar that CPS doesn't have to pay in high interest is money that can be provided for special education and investments.

So our kids need the investment more than the banks do.

The bridge program is currently available to some suburban school districts, but not CPS.

Pitting the suburbs against the city in a financial tub of war isn't right.

Our students and teachers and families should not have to continue to experience the uncertainty and anxiety that comes with leadership that can't together come up with what's right.

Include us in the bridge program and then join us in calling a special session this fall to fully fund our schools.

Let's fight for our kids together.

Thank you.

Next speaker.

Good morning.

My name is, excuse me.

My name is Alex Rodriguez.

I'm a middle school social studies teacher, LSL Language Academy.

I'm also a CPS parent as well as a proud CTU member.

Listen, enough is enough.

It's time to do right by our students once and for all.

Every day that I walk into my classroom full of bright, talented young people who deserve the opportunity to succeed.

And I think about the student with an IEP who deserves to receive their services on the first day of school.

I want to be clear, the first day of school.

Not weeks or months later because of cuts.

Absolutely not.

What are we supposed to keep telling parents every day their child does not have the necessary support in their classrooms?

I watch my colleagues every day take on responsibilities that should belong to multiple people because of positions that have been cut at our school.

And now you're asking us to do more with less.

That's unacceptable.

We can't do more with less anymore.

We've been doing that for years.

Our schools are owed 400 million dollars from Cook County for last school year.

Money our schools desperately need.

On top of that, other school districts have been given access to a 40 million dollar interest-free loan while the black and brown students of the city of Chicago have been denied that same opportunity.

We're not here to ask for this money.

I want to be very clear with you all.

We're here to demand the money that our schools and our students are owed.

Our schools are also underfunded by $2 billion by the state of Illinois.

Across all Cook County schools, that number rises to $2.5 billion.

So we're urging you as well, aside from releasing these funds, we're urging you to join us to call the governor and the General Assembly to convene a special session that will fully fund our public schools to make sure that we give every student in the city of Chicago and Cook County the education they deserve.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Tanisha Higgins, Shanice Stevens.

Good morning.

My name is Tanisha Higgins, and I stand before you today as a Chicago Public Schools math teacher at Stag Elementary, a CPS alum and a parent of two CPS students.

I see our schools from every angle.

As an educator, as someone who benefited from this district, and as a parent who entrusts my own children's education to it every day.

I'm here because this isn't simply about a bridge loan, it's about a timing problem.

Cook County has not distributed property tax revenues on time.

As a result, CPS has been forced to borrow money to cover expenses while waiting for funds that already belong to our schools.

Every day that those dollars are delayed, the district pays millions in unnecessary interest costs, money that should be spent in classrooms, not on financing.

Those interest payments don't create better schools.

They don't hire teachers, they don't provide special education services, they don't buy textbooks, technology, or classroom supplies.

They simply pay for delays that our students did not cause.

Whether you support every decision made by CPS is not what is here before you today.

The question is whether students should bear the financial consequences of delayed tax distribution process.

Every dollar spent on avoidable interest is a dollar that cannot be invested in the children of Chicago.

As a math teacher, I spend every day teaching students to solve problems using logic and evidence.

The math here is simple.

When funds are delayed, borrowing costs increase, and students lose.

But it as an investment in the nearly 325,000 students who depend on our public schools every day.

To the students and the parents that show up to contribute to classrooms to educators like myself who invest in my classroom and spend thousands of dollars a year on simple things like hygiene products.

I buy coats, I buy book bags, I send home uniforms with our students.

We need your help.

We need what CPS has promised and is owed.

Thank you.

Next speaker.

Shanice Stevens, followed by Ashley Harris.

Thank you.

We'll go past her.

Ashley Harris.

Is Ashley here?

That's me.

Yeah, go ahead.

That's not my title a little bit.

Okay, okay.

Thank you.

I got you.

Good morning, everybody.

My name.

Hey.

My name is Ashley Harris, and I'm going to my seventh year as an educator on the east side of Chicago, but I'm a lifelong product of Chicago public schools.

Even as an educator, I'm a student.

Always having to learn, always having to adjust.

Always trying to figure out how to make it enough for kids who already don't feel like they're enough.

And I'm tired of making it enough.

Our babies are already majorly disinvested in at the state level.

So it is disheartening to stand here and hear that the very county that their parents, their teachers, and their community pay taxes into also believe money owed to their district can be withheld.

Chicago contributes more than half of Cook County's tax revenue.

More than half.

But when money is designated for public schools within Cook County, somehow my students are the exception.

Why?

Why are Chicago children always the exception?

Why are our teachers expected to do more with less?

Why are our families expected to pay into systems that continue to find reasons not support back into their children and communities?

Why does everybody love to talk about Chicago's children when discussing test scores, crime, and attendance, but suddenly forget about them when it's time to give what they are owed?

The very resources that can help us combat the things that children are continuously blamed for are constantly denied.

I was and I am a CPS baby.

Now I teach CPS babies.

And every day I'm expected to look children in their faces and convince them that they are enough while the systems around them continuously send a different message.

So no, I am not here to ask Cook County to do CPS a favor.

You all are not giving us charity.

This is money for public school children in Cook County as Chicago children are public children within Cook County.

Pay Chicago public schools the millions that it is owed.

Our baby should not have to beg for what already belongs to them.

Chicago students cannot keep being the exception.

So my question is when will it all finally be enough?

When will the test scores, the attendance, the teacher barn now, people leaving the district, and our children go on with doubt finally be enough for you all to stand with us and do right by our future.

Take the pressure off of teachers, take the pressure off families and communities, and put it where it belongs on our billionaire governor.

Call a special session, fund our students based on the formula Illinois agreed upon.

We have stretched, we have we have made it enough.

Now it is you all's turn to make it enough.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Next on the list, Pavlin.

Yankov.

Pablin, are you here?

Thank you.

Then we're gonna go to remote uh Ed Bannon and Debbie Pope.

So Ed and Debbie, if you're connected remotely, please turn on your cameras to let us know that you're ready.

Padlin, you're next.

Hey, uh good morning, commissioners, officials of Cook County government.

My name is Pavlin Jankov, director of research at the Chicago Teachers Union, and I'm here today calling on this body to ensure that all of our school communities are not harmed by the delays in property tax dollars overseen by your offices.

In a time when Trump is dismantling the Department of Education, and we have the state of Illinois, Governor Pritzker, and the legislature continuing to leave schools underfunded to the tune of five billion dollars statewide and 2.5 billion dollars across Cook County schools, all of your constituent school communities.

These delays in local revenues have drastic consequences for services for students.

These delays have cost schools across the county hundreds of millions of dollars.

Over 120 million reported last month by suburban districts.

But it has cost CPS well over 40 million dollars in interest costs alone last year.

And as of last month, they were still waiting on the disbursement of 400 million dollars in tax revenues already paid, collected, and meant for education that are being held up under the treasurer.

As a result of these delays, the impact of state underfunding has compounded at CPS.

It was reported that CPS was paying 220,000 a day in interest costs to deal with delayed revenues.

That's the equivalent of two teachers lost every single day.

That means lost instruction, lost special special education, lost libraries for our students.

You're considering today before you an ordinance that would offer a vital relief program available to taxing bodies all across the county to ensure they have access to the funds they are owed on time.

Except that the program has excluded the Chicago public schools.

CPS, the largest school district in the state and in the county serving the largest number of black and brown students, students in temporary living situations with high and increasing special education needs should not be cut out.

Excluding CPS is unacceptable.

The county has the authority, they have the capacity and duty to represent all its constituents and treat them fairly.

So we are asking commissioners to vote no on the property tax bridge fund ordinance, unless it is amended and clarified to ensure that this program is extended to Chicago public schools.

One minute and to all taxing districts in need across Cook County.

We're also demanding that Treasurer Pappas release all funds owed to our school communities.

And we are asking you all, Cook County officials to stand with us to demand Governor Prisker and the state legislature call a special session to fully fund education and fulfill their obligation to all of our school communities.

Thank you.

Ed Bannon is next.

Ed Bannon, then uh Debbie Pope and Hilario Gominguez.

If you're connected, please turn on your camera.

Let us know that you're ready.

Mr.

Bandon.

Good morning.

My name's Ed Bannon.

I'm actually here in person today.

Um, this issue is too important uh to not speak in person.

Um I'm a member of the struggle school board, I represent District 1A on the far northwest side.

Um wanna say good morning to Commissioners Trevor, Vasquez, and Degden, who represent part of my district.

Um, like the speakers before, I want to thank all the educators who are out here today.

Um, when they should be relaxing and recharging for next summer, they're here to advocate for their students, they're here to advocate for funding.

Uh I'm here to do the same.

I don't want to repeat everything that was uh eloquently said by the educators before me.

Uh, but I do want to say that uh one point that bears repeating is the amount of interest that CPS is paying uh due to the delayed funding is almost one staff person is is one staff person per day at the height of our or borrowing for short-term cash uh uh issuances.

Uh that's one librarian, that's one social worker, that's one teacher, that's one support staff uh every day that could be serving students.

Instead, that money is going to serve banks and paying interest, and that's not right.

Um, I'm also asking you to vote no on the uh bridge loan program as it currently stands.

Um it should be amended to include CPS.

I understand the county board budget can't um uh cover all of uh the CPS shortfall, but it can be amended to help um uh alleviate some of the um uh interest that we're paying due to the delayed tax bills.

Um the um so again uh uh please vote no on the the uh bridge loan program as it currently stands.

And and secondly, um regarding the the release of the already collected property taxes that um haven't made it into the city at the CPS funds yet.

Our our budget chief has had repeated conversations with the county to um make sure those property those already collected property taxes flow to CPS as they already should.

Um I'm here today to elevate that problem.

Um asking commissioners uh who represent Chicago uh and Olive Cook County to dig into that uh problem.

Uh look, we all a lot of us we represent the same taxpayers.

Um this is an opportunity for our two governments to work together to make sure that property taxes are actually going to provide the services that they should be providing, um, not going to pay for interest.

So um I know you're all concerned about education.

Uh I look forward to working with you to uh improve education across uh the city and the county.

30 seconds.

Thanks for your time.

Thank you, Mr.

Bannon.

Uh online we have Debbie Pope.

Debbie, please open your mic.

Good morning, please.

Good morning, everybody.

Thank you so much to the commissioners for giving me this opportunity to speak to you today about this really important topic.

I am a retired educator, uh parent of two CPS grads, and a current grandparent of a rising second grader.

I am also a member of the Chicago Board of Education.

I represent District 2B, which serves students in Edgewater, Ravenswood, Albany Park, and several other neighborhoods.

And I am here today to do several things.

One is please amend the program for bridge loans to include Chicago.

Chicago students have some of the greatest needs in our state, although students all over our state and our county have many needs.

As the co-chair of the special ed advisory committee, I am of course especially concerned about the negative impact that the loss of funds has on our students with disabilities in terms of class size, in terms of following their IEPs, which are legal documents, in terms of having the teacher assistance seekers and other personnel, such as special education teachers available to help them in any way that they need help so that they can achieve their full potential.

As a retired bilingual teacher, I am also concerned about the impact that these cuts will have on us students who are recent immigrants to our country, who are learning English, and who are in need of many support services.

Many of them have been through some very traumatic times.

The fear that the federal government has instilled in our students and their families cannot be minimized, and we need services to help those students so that they can learn and they can feel safe in their schools.

We are losing over 30 million dollars, 220,000 a day on short-term loans in order to make good the money that should have been delivered to us.

One minute, the county state in delivering to us.

This is not acceptable.

We cannot afford to have our children shortchanged this way.

We also cannot afford the failure of the state of Illinois to fully fund public education, to fully fund the EBF, to give us additional money for categoricals.

So that Illinois can meet its responsibilities to the next generation of students in Chicago, throughout Cook County, and throughout the state.

This is really important.

Please help us with this.

Our children are depending on you.

Thank you so much.

Thank you.

Hilario Dominguez is next.

My name is Hilario Dominguez.

Can you hear me?

Yes, please begin.

Okay, buenos.

Yes.

My name is Ilario Dominguez.

I'm a special education teacher, a CPS graduate, a lifelong Chicagoan, a father and the husband of a CPS assistant principal.

For many families, this is one of the most beautiful times of the year.

Chicago parks are full, neighborhood festivals are popping, and children are enjoying their summer break.

But that's not the reality for everyone.

Across our city, families are living with fear because of ice raids in our neighborhoods.

Parents worry whether they'll make it home from work, working families are struggling with the rising cost of rent, groceries, child care, utilities, and now just weeks before the school year begins.

CPS educators and staff are waking up every day wondering whether they'll still have a job when students return this fall.

Behind every layoff notice is a person who has dedicated their life to serving our children, a teacher who stayed late to helping a struggling student learn to read, a Sika who helps a student with disabilities navigate the school day, a lunchroom worker who knows every child's name, an assistant principal helping to keep a school's operations fully functional.

When those workers lose their jobs, our students lose a trusted adults they depend on.

As a teacher, husband of a school leader, now the father of a young son who will wonder the majority of PS.

I know school our schools are more than just buildings.

They should be a refuge from the challenges families face, not another source of uncertainty.

And today there is something within your power to do.

The county created the bridge loan program because it understood that delayed property tax distributions can place school districts in impossible financial situations.

And CPS is living that reality today.

Every day these funds are delayed.

CPS is forced to spend money on interest instead of students.

And I know many of you understand this personally because you've spent your careers fighting for working families, and some of you have even stood in classrooms yourselves.

You know that when budgets are tight, the conversations too often become, what do we cut?

Which teacher?

Which program?

Which school do we close?

I think we've been asking the wrong question.

The question shouldn't be, what are we willing to take away from our children?

It should be what do children need to thrive.

Today you have an opportunity to help course correct by including CPS in the bridge loan program.

You can help prevent more layoffs and protect classrooms.

But I'll ask you to do something more.

Join educators, parents, students, and communities across Illinois and calling on the state to convene a special special session to fully fund our public schools.

Our children deserve all of us doing more.

And it doesn't take much, just political courage.

The courage to say that the education of our children cannot continue to be balanced on the backs of teachers, school staff, and students.

Thank you.

Next speaker, connected remotely.

Hilario.

I'm sorry, Hilaria was the last speaker.

Marisa Vief.

Marisa.

If Marissa is not connected, then it is Teresa Kern.

Teresa, are you with us?

Marissa, are you with us?

If not, walk in, Mary Ann Monahan.

Are you in the room?

Mary Kay Monahan.

Uh-huh.

Okay.

Uh Jackie Gomez.

Jackie, are you in the room?

Jackie Gomez.

Larry Huggins connected remotely.

Mr.

Huggins.

Percy Scott.

Percy, I see you're connected.

Can you open your camera and your mic?

Thank you.

Please begin, sir.

Unmute your mic, Percy.

After Percy will be Blevian Moore.

Blevian, if you're ready, open your camera so that we can see that you're there.

Percy dropped off.

Mary Kay is not here.

Jackie Gomez.

Larry Huggins.

Percy Scott.

Levy and more.

Bleving I see.

There you go.

You may begin, please.

I am so sorry.

No worries.

Yes.

Go ahead.

Okay.

So I wanted to make sure that I address this.

I'm the executive director for the Midwest Business Association.

And we are definitely requesting the pending robust as opposed to pending robust stakeholder engagement.

That MBA, I mean the WBE, the MBE, it can impact them.

And we need an impact analysis because of the proposed penalty that can unintentionally exclude those type of workers and other small minority firms from county contracts.

So we are definitely asking that you uh postpone this until the uh financial meeting in September, so that that way we can have a uh there can be a full investigation, there can be awareness that's put out there, and people can be fully aware of what's going on and how it can impact their businesses.

As we all know, small businesses uh are the backbone of uh America, and we need to make sure that um at least we know what we're getting into, okay.

Does that complete your testimony?

Yeah, pretty much.

Um it does.

Okay.

Thank you for connecting.

Um Marissa Veth and Teresa Kern have submitted written testimony.

Mary Kay Monaham is in the room.

You may begin.

Jackie Gomez.

And followed by Jackie Gomez.

Thank you, Mr.

Chairman, members of the committee.

My name is Mary Kay Minahan.

I'm here today on behalf of two organizations, uh, the women construction owners and executives, which represents women-owned construction firms in Chicago, who do a lot of work in Cook County, and the Association of Subcontractors and Affiliates, which also has about 350 members and works uh throughout the county.

And we're here today in regards to Commissioner Degnan's proposal to add a 10% penalty to uh to contracts, which would include construction contracts.

Today our members put up a payment and performance bond to work on county jobs.

They also have a 10% retention withheld from their contract.

So the county has the ability through both mechanisms to resolve any payment and performance issues.

Um at the same time, you know, the women minority contractors have been facing a lot of challenges.

We haven't had DBE uh participation or goals on county con any contracts uh since October of last year.

Maybe we'll get them next month.

But the goals are gonna be about 46% less than they have been in the past.

Um so it's a real challenging time for our members to try to work through all of this federal assault and at the same time uh perform their work.

And so we would encourage you to look at this.

Um, you know, payment and performance bonds are generally the value of the contract, because again, if there's no performance, the county has to have an outlet.

You have to have a way to pay for that.

And we're in favor of that.

We have no trouble with that.

But there's been no discussion with any of the uh the groups I represent, other MWB associations that I reached out to.

Um, and we would just like an opportunity to have this matter deferred so we can talk about it and get it resolved and then and bring it back at the next county board meeting.

Thank you very much.

Thank you.

Jackie.

Jackie Gomez.

Hi, good morning.

Good morning, Chairman and members of the committee.

My name is Jackie Gomez.

I'm the executive director of the Hispanic American Construction Industry Association, also known as HASIA.

Husia is a Cook County-based trade or association representing hundreds of minority Hispanic, small diverse businesses within the construction and professional services uh industry.

For over 40 years, we worked alongside with Cook County to ensure that we're building equitable contracting opportunities, supporting MDBE certified businesses, uh, ensuring there's we're building capacity workforce and advocating to ensure that they can compete and thrive in public contracts.

We are one of the county's key assist agencies in this space.

Hasia supports contractor accountability.

That's not a problem.

We want accountability.

What we can't support is advancing an ordinance that does not have industry input.

Sections of this proposed ordinance authorizes a 10% withholding of contracts over three million dollars after just 30 days of non-performance.

There's a lot of a lot of issues and concerns with that alone for small and diverse businesses operating on a 3% profit margin.

That's not a penalty.

That's ending their business completely.

And in construction, 30 days can just go by with just weather issues, inspections, owner directed changes.

Change orders don't even probably occur within 30 days.

So obviously there's concerns there.

Um $3 million contracts.

Uh we'd like to understand a little bit about where did that number come from?

$3 million is still a small, a small amount for for certain businesses.

The other issue is that the CPO in this language may establish cure provisions.

That's also discretionary.

There should be due process for that.

So what we ask is this committee to please defer convene a working session with organizations like ours and other assist agencies as also a former colleague spoke earlier about.

We're here to support and ensure equitable access, accountability, and transparency.

So we appreciate the opportunity to speak in front of you.

Um thank you again.

Thank you.

Chairman, I'm going to recall those that did not answer, and I think we may be done.

There was a connection made for Larry Huggins.

Mr.

Huggins, are you connected?

Percy Scott.

All right, Chairman.

They are not currently connected.

They're not connected, okay.

So we will close public testimony at this time.

Thank you.

Okay.

Commissioner Lower.

Thank you, Chairman.

Do you need me to move a remote?

Not yet.

All right.

So I now move to approve the item two six-1943, the minutes for the finance committee meeting in June 2026.

It's been moved by Commissioner Lowry, second by Commissioner Trevor to approve the committee minute uh item number two six nine one nine three four.

All those in favor signify by saying aye.

Aye.

Opposed the motion carries.

Commissioner Dagman.

I move to receive and file item two six-1834 court orders uh report.

Court orders report totals 279,191 dollars and fifty-six cents, covers the period May 16th, 2026 through June 19, 2026.

I move to approve the following.

Special court cases, page two.

Proposed settlements, pages two through five.

Item two six-1867, a quarterly litigation disbursement report.

Item 26-1872 workers' compensation settlement decisions report for the period June 10, 2026 through July 14, 2026.

Move to approve item 26-1863, workers' compensation claims payment report for the month ending May 31, 2026.

Total 963,636.42 cents.

Move to approve 26-1900.

Workers compensation payments, risk management settlements report for the month ending June 2026.

Move to approve 26-1860 patient arrestee claims report for the month of May 2026 in the amount of $4,927.37.

Move to approve 26-1861 self-insurance claims report for the month of June 2026 in the amount of 418 dollars, and I move to approve 26-1864.

Claims recovery settlements for the month ending June 2026 in the amount of $56,906 and 67 cents.

Um eight three four.

Approved of I'm sorry, receive and file.

Approved of the special court order orders, proposed settlement letters, approved item number two, six one eight six seven, two six one eight seven two, two two uh two six one eight six three.

Two six one nine zero zero, two uh two six one eight six one.

Two six one eight six zero.

Two six one eight six four.

Any questions on any of these items?

If not, all those in favor signify by saying aye.

Aye.

Oppose motion carries.

Commissioner Trevor.

Thank you, Chair.

I move to receive and file 261935 Controller's Report for six-month period.

Amended.

And the other item, yes.

And the health and hospital.

Yes, uh 261605 Cook County Hospitals Report for the United States.

Move by Commissioner Trevor, second by Commissioner Aguilar to receive and file item members 261935 and 261605.

We can't hear you.

Okay.

I said receive and file items number two, six, one nine three five and receive and file two six one six zero five.

Will the uh controller and cook county health give their report.

Good morning, Commissioners and Chairman Daly.

Cyril Thomas Comptroller.

For the six-month period ending May 31st of 2026, the general fund had a favorable net budget variance of 314.9 million.

It was comprised of a 226.2 million favorable revenue variants and a favorable expense variance of 88.7 million.

The favorable revenue variance is driven primarily by county sales tax, property tax, and cigarette tax receipts higher than forecasted.

The health fund had a favorable net budget variance of $82.5 million on a budget or cash basis.

It was comprised of a $99.1 million favorable revenue variants and an unfavorable expense variance of $16.6 million.

The accrual-based financial reports prepared by the Health Fund are a better indicator of the financial condition of the Enterprise Fund.

State revenues update.

Through May 31st of 2026, the State of Illinois owed the county 94 million.

That included 84.7 million due to the general fund and 9.3 million due to the health fund.

The receivable was comprised of 16.5 million from AOIC, Administrative Office of Illinois Court, 0.5 million for rent, and 86.3 million for Federal Pru and State Direct Grants.

In fiscal year 26, the Federal Government canceled 1.2 million in one-time grants.

The first grant related to Chicago Land Solar Collaborative from Department of Energy for $700,000.

And the second one related to undeserved victims of crime, State's attorney's office for $500,000.

That concludes my report.

Does anyone have any questions?

Thank you.

And so the one item you said was victims of crime, the was canceled.

That's correct.

The unserved victims of crime related to the State's attorney's office, 500,000 was canceled.

And that was cut at the Federal level, you said.

It was canceled since uh the beginning of the year.

Okay.

Thank you.

Commissioner Miller.

Thank you.

Can you answer?

Do we have any plans of recouping any of those canceled grant funds?

I am unsure at this point.

Let me get back to you on that.

1.2 million.

Yes.

That'd be great.

If you could report back to the Commissioner, I would appreciate it through the chair.

And then we'll advise all members.

Any other questions?

Cook County Health.

Good morning, Chairman, Commissioners, Scott Spencer, interim CFO for Cook County Health.

So as mentioned, year to date, the health system is 82.5 favorable to budget.

Revenues are 99 million, favorable, comprised of county care health plan services revenue, favorability, and unfavorable patient fees driven primarily by volumes under budget and Medicaid takebacks that have occurred during the year, as well as uncompensated care increases, which are uh projected for fiscal 26 at uh 385 million or 5 percent uh higher than budget.

Um we have no pass due capitation from the state and uh dish dollars um our current through the end of the month.

Any questions by any of the members?

If not, the motion is has been made and seconded.

It was moved by commit uh and seconded to receive and filed items number two six one nine three five and two six one six zero five.

All those in favor signify by saying aye.

Aye.

Oppose the motion carries.

Commissioner Lowry.

Thank you, Chairman.

I now move to approve item two six-1758, a proposed resolution for the digital equity planning initiative.

It's been moved by Commissioner Lowry, second by Commissioner McCasco to approve 261758.

I think we have all been briefed on it, and I didn't know if anyone wanted to give an overview on this item.

If not, all those in favor signify by saying aye.

Aye.

Opposed the motion carries.

Commissioner Lowry.

I now move approval of the following two items.

26-1574, proposed resolution for issuance of sales tax revenue and bonds, and item two six-1577, a proposed ordinance providing for the issuance of a general obligation refunding bonds.

It's been moved by Commissioner Lowry, second by Commissioner Trevor to approve 261574 and 261577.

Dean.

The Chief Financial Officer.

I'm there.

No exit.

Good afternoon.

I'm Dean Constantino, Deputy CFO of Cook County 26-1574.

Is an ordinance requesting authority and uh to issue a sales tax bond for a not-to-exceed amount of 175 million.

The purpose of the bonds will be to refill the line of credit, which we use to finance our capital spending program to support the issuance of the bonds.

The sales tax bonds have been rated by Kroll, Fitch, and Moody's and are carrying a rating of AAA, AA plus, and A3 A3 respectively.

This is the first time that Moody's rated these bonds.

They were able to achieve parity with what they provided on our geo bonds.

And I should also note that Fitch upgraded the count both the county sales tax and geo credits this week, which is just one notch below triple A.

At this point, we think the bonds will be about 130 million, and that will have an all-in yield of around 4.7%.

Item 26-1577 is a refunding of our geo bonds.

So as part of a kind of a best practice, our bonds have a call date where in which we can exercise the option to refinance them.

And these call dates are usually about eight and ten years apart, so from when the bonds are issued.

Accordingly, this item 26-1577 gives us the authority to refund the remaining principal on the 2014 C, 2016A, and 2018 GO bonds.

Critically, we are not pushing out the maturity of these bonds at all, and in fact, all of our geo bonds are set to mature in 2034.

However, by reissuing the bonds now, we can take advantage of the shorter end of the yield curve and generate savings on our debt service through this action.

We expect to generate about 12 million dollars in net present value savings.

Any questions?

Any questions?

And the rating agency you said did rate rate them up, uh Dean.

Yeah, we actually got two upgrades uh this this this time around, one uh both from Fitch, uh one on our sales tax and one of our on our geo bonds.

So we went from uh double A to A positive uh stable outcome and uh you know that double A positive is just one notch below triple A.

But it's positive.

That's very good.

Thank you.

Very good, yeah.

Any any qu any questions by any of the members?

So the motion on the floor is to approve item number two six one five seven four and two six one five seven seven.

All those in favor signify by saying aye.

Aye, oppose the motion carries.

Commissioner Lowry.

Thank you, Chairman.

Before moving to the next item, let me first say thank you to all of the public speakers today, uh including our valued CTU members.

Uh let me also share that the uh Office of the President and President Preckwinkle will be working with our board to address the issue uh raised today by the CTU members uh who provided testimony.

You will be hearing from us, we will be in touch.

With that noted, I now move approval of 26-1578, a proposed ordinance for local taxing jurisdiction bridge loan program.

It's been moved by Commissioner Lowry, second by Commissioner Scott to approve item number two six one five seven eight.

Um Ashley, did you want to give it a share?

I have a I have a question.

Uh before she gives a presentation or now.

Okay.

Ashley, did you want to move by Commissioner Lowry?

I said by Commissioner Scott.

Thank you.

Good morning, Commissioners.

Ashley Ramchantani, Deputy Chief Financial Officer.

Um I'm here to speak to the bridge loan due to an approximate two-month delay in the second installment tax property tax distributions this year.

Cook County is re-establishing the bridge fund to provide up to $300 million and no interest loans for local governments and taxing districts who primarily rely on property tax revenue for their expenditures.

Qualifying taxing bodies, such as municipalities, park districts, fire districts, schools, libraries will be able to apply for this short-term loan with the county.

The application window opens on Monday, July 20th, following the approval of the board, and closes at 5 p.m.

on Monday, August 24th.

Eligibility criteria include 50 cent 50 percent reliance on property taxes.

The L the local taxing jurisdiction must be wholly located within suburban Cook County.

Paper districts are excluded.

All local taxing jurisdictions that pass through property tax collections to a third party for the provision of services are ineligible.

Disinvested communities will be offered additional consideration.

The county will approve loans according to availability and need on a rolling basis.

In consultation with the CFO.

Um the county will be looking at and exploring opportunities for inclusion of CPS within the program.

The county will host two office hours to answer any application related questions.

These sessions will be hosted via Microsoft Teams and taxing districts are encouraged to join with any questions regarding technical support on their applications.

The dates for the office hours are August 5th, 2026 from 12 to 1 p.m.

And August 19th, 2026 from 12 to 1 p.m.

I'll take any questions.

Commissioner Nye.

All right, Commissioner Vasquez, you're right.

I'm sorry.

Thank you, Chair.

I would also like to thank all of the educators for coming out to public comments.

My entire district is in the city of Chicago.

I hear about the issues with the defunding of our CPS schools daily for my constituents.

I think it is extremely important that we do include CPS in this bridge loan program.

And while I appreciate you know the idea of conversations, I would like to ask on the record if there is consideration to include CPS in this bridge loan.

Yes, I think we will be exploring options to do that.

Thank you.

And I just want to also just very briefly say, you know, not a lot of people have experience with a school closure, personal experience with school closures.

I do.

I went to a school that was closed.

That is incredibly damaging what that does to not just the student but the family.

And so I think it's critical that we not only include CPS in this bridge loan, but that yes, we do call a special session for funding for our CPS schools.

If we can entertain a stadium for the Chicago Bears, we can make space for our students and invest in our students as well.

Thank you.

Thank you, Commissioner.

Commissioner.

Thank you, Chair.

I I also wanted to thank all of the wonderful teachers and personnel that that came to speak.

Um I'm a very proud product of CPS.

Um I I understand, you know, I I actually serve the seven districts, the southwest side of the city of Chicago has the uh so many schools, um, and many of them that have been impacted both on the charter side and on the other with closures.

And I am a firm believer that we need to do everything in our power to ensure that they are fully funded, but uh most importantly that we do everything to ensure that uh the levels of government work for who they're meant to work for, and in this case, it is for our young people, our next generation and the uh bright uh future, hopefully, of Cook County.

Thank you.

Commissioner Miller.

Thank you.

I want to also thank those who came to speak today from CPS.

Um, I'm another proud graduate of CPS and four generations of CTU teachers in my family.

So I also want to uh say that when we advocate for the betterment of what's good for our children throughout Chicago and Cook County.

Um I'm glad your voices were here to be heard on this issue.

And I would also hope that you will continue to lobby in Springfield uh to make sure that public schools are funded, and education funding is something that the priority continu will need to be continued to be a priority.

Um we've been talking about the formula for education funding for 25 years at least, and my husband introduced that legislation back 20 years ago, and it hasn't changed much since that time.

So I would hope that you are also, I know you are, but just for the public to be standing there with you looking at how we fund public school education, so it's not for the have and have nots.

Commissioner McCasco.

Thank you, Chair.

Um, again, as my colleagues have already stated, thank all of the CTU members and other speakers that have come before us today.

Um, please don't have the misconception that it does not impact also the South Suburban and other areas as well.

The underfunding and defunding of schools is impacting black and brown children across the entire county.

We need to make sure that all children are included.

My district covers the far south side, which is the outgall garden side, which is extremely not only uh defunded but also underfunded with resources and activities specifically in that area.

And historically, we are looking at these heat maps that continuously just demonstrate that we are just we have disparities in how we are funding black and brown communities.

We need to get ahead of this.

We have an opportunity right now to be on the right side of this and to correct the wrongs that have been wrong for far too long.

And I think someone said earlier, enough is enough, and I'm not sure who that gentleman was, but I agree with you 100%.

We have an opportunity to stop kicking the can down the road to pick up the can and do the right thing.

So I'm going to say for this board, um, let's continue to stand in solidarity with each other to ensure that all of our children are receiving all of the resources that we know they are entitled to.

And I agree with my colleague.

I would like to see our billionaire bears invest that money back into the community.

Thank you.

Commissioner Morita.

Thank you, Chair.

Um, and again, thank you to those who came to speak earlier.

I also support um and glad that we are at least exploring, including CPS.

I had some technical questions about the process and the amounts.

How much do we have in the bridge loan fund program right now?

The current uh bridge fund program is set to provide up to 300 million dollars and no interest loans.

Commissioner Marita.

And as we I know that that number was configured, I believe when we were not considering including CPS.

Um, if we are exploring including CPS, are we also then adding additional funds so that it does not become a net zero game between the city and the suburbs?

We are currently exploring our options, Commissioner Marita.

Um and what will be the process of figuring this out in terms of communication uh with the board?

Well, our team, the Office of the Chief Financial Officer will have to take a look at um the needs, our projections of what we expect for the um those local taxing jurisdictions that meet the original eligibility criteria and come back uh with an estimate of what we can provide uh within the available funds and what what other options we need to consider.

Thank you.

Do we have a sense of what that time are we then exploring that after we see who applies from the suburbs?

Is this a simultaneous process just trying to get a sense of what the time frame will be to have understand this?

Thank you, Commissioner Marida.

We expect we expect to open up the application window on time on Monday, July 20th.

So we'll be doing this work simultaneously with the opening of the application window.

Okay.

We just would ask for just communication about what the process and time frame will be so we kind of know things before they come before us again.

Absolutely.

Thank you.

Commissioner Aguilar, followed by Commissioner Trevor.

Thank you, Chairman.

I just want to just thank you, uh Chicago Teachers Union and Chicago Public Schools for coming here.

You know, uh I I represent most of the Western suburbs, but if this is a lot of Chicago, it's gonna just spill over to the Western suburbs and districts.

So keep up the fight.

You know, we start defending our schools.

You know, you're you're you're you're you're uh you're beginning to get problems, you know, urban decay, uh lack of opportunities.

And it's just uh, you know, Ben and just we got invest, we're investing in our children, you know.

So we allow this, we're really asking for uh community suicide.

That's what's gonna happen.

So keep up the fight and we're with you.

Thank you for being here.

Commissioner Trevor.

Thank you, Chair.

I also want to thank uh the CTU members who testified.

I also want to uh shout out to Ed Bannon uh from the uh the school board.

Um I also wanted to echo Commissioner Marita's comments.

Um I'm a little bit worried about pitting uh I represent about 15 percent of my district is in the city of Chicago, and I really do worry about uh pitting uh suburb against city here.

I think it was really important for us to hear the testimony today about the impact that these delays have had on uh Chicago public schools.

Uh it I've I've gotten an earful from all of the many, many different taxing bodies in my district about just the the really devastating impacts of these delays um on them.

Uh so I would encourage us uh if we're thinking about expanding this to uh the Chicago public schools and other taxing bodies, we need to make sure that we've got the resources in place uh to handle the demand.

So thank you.

Commissioner Kevin Morrison.

Uh I will also want to echo my colleagues and thanking all the CTU members for coming here and participating in our board meeting and for your advocacy, you know, representing 17 municipalities in the Northwest suburbs.

I have been regularly meeting with all of uh the advocates for our public schools uh in the many districts I represent, and I know that this has been a really trying time.

And so um, you know, uh it should go without saying we're the richest nation in the world.

Uh we should see a federal government that guarantees high quality public education for all.

Um, and I really hope that's a future we'll see one day.

And so I thank you for your advocacy, and I'm glad that uh there are considerations of potentially uh extending the funding pool that will be available here to uh be able to help more taxing bodies.

Thank you.

Let me thank uh members of the union, everyone who testified.

Needless to say the work you do every single day, not only and it's not Chicago versus the suburban schools.

All of you are in this uh predicament.

Uh evidence-based budget funding was passed by the General Assembly.

They should do it and enforce it.

I know members the members of the General Assembly with we all support.

We have an obligation to call the members to support the evidence-based budget, and I believe they should be a special session specifically on this topic only.

Um I would urge you to reach out to your members that you have supported in the past, 100.

I mean, the budget was passed without this.

So we um we have a commitment.

I was a former teacher many, many years ago in Chicago public schools and on uh at home school and then short uh insurance goals and uh the problems are the same, and we have to, but when this law legislation was passed, there's there there is an obligation from the General General Assembly to enforce it.

It's not wasn't passed if maybe it was passed.

So your school district, our school districts, all of them, and it is not.

And your testimony was not based upon Chicago versus uh suburban school.

It was all suburban, all school districts within Cook County.

So I'm glad to hear we're opening this up, and um I would urge passage of this and continue dialogue on this issue.

Um not uh all those in favor uh on the motion, it's been moved by Commissioner Lowry, second by Commissioner Scott Scott to approve item two six one five seven eight.

All those in favor signify by saying aye.

Oppose the motion carrying.

Okay.

Leave to it all members if they aren't on there.

Commissioner Naya.

Thank you, Chair.

I'd like to move to accept the substitute for item 26-uh twelve fifty-one.

This is a resolution updating the retention bonus pay program here in Cookie.

Second by Commissioner Dugman to accept the substitute to 261251.

All those in favor accepting the substitute signify by saying aye.

Oppose the motion carries.

Commissioner, yes, now I'd like to move to defer item 26-uh twelve fifty-one.

Again, this is the resolution uh updating the retention bonus program.

It's been moved by Commissioner, second by Commissioner.

No, no, no, I'm not seconding that.

Okay, Commissioner Ums.

This is a to defer this item to bonus.

Oh, I'm sorry, yes, I'm I'm seconding that.

I'm sorry.

Sorry.

That yeah, this is the bonus.

Um six one two five one.

All those in favor signify by saying aye.

I oppose the motion curious.

Commissioner Degman.

Thank you.

Um approve items.

No, you move Commissioner Degnan moves to accept the substitute.

Accept the substitute.

To ex uh 261514.

Correct.

Seconded.

Is this seconded?

Second by Commissioner Kevin Morrison.

On the substitute only.

All those in favor signify by saying aye.

Aye.

Oppose the motion carried.

Commissioner Dagman.

Thank you.

I move to approve item number 26-1514 as substituted.

Um this ordinance amendment is.

Seconded.

Kevin, are you say no?

Okay.

Okay.

Commissioner Kevin Morrison.

Commissioner Dagner.

Thank you.

Yep.

We're talking today about 26 uh 1514 as substituted.

This ordinance amendment is aimed at giving the CPO the additional tool of withholding or reducing a contract by 10 percent if a vendor isn't delivering the goods or services the county contracted for.

This serves two purposes.

First, to incentivize a problem vendor to complete the project.

And second, to give the county protection against issues like large defaults and excessive delays.

In many states and municipalities across the country, these laws already exist to protect against a contract in crisis.

We want all contracts to go well, and many do, but when they don't, I think we all agree that we need policies and codes to ensure we get what we paid for in a timely manner.

For example, the Tyler contract is a $30 million contract.

The county spent almost $20 million in additional funds and employee overtime just to move the project forward due to vendor delays.

I spent 11 years on that contract, and we still don't have a fully functioning system.

And we have a contract that allows us to recover only 250,000.

Each contract we have in Cook County is negotiated, leaving us at risk for negotiating out clauses that might help us if a contract goes wrong.

This code language under 26-1514 is only relevant when we have a vendor that doesn't deliver the goods or services promised, or when it's way past the time a vendor promised to deliver, and we're too far into that contract to terminate it.

This isn't for every contract, it's limited to contracts that haven't performed.

This code provision is not for small contracts and small businesses.

It's only for contracts with the county over $3 million.

If you have heard from a small business or a chamber concerned about small businesses with small contracts, this does not apply to them.

With this modest code update, the CPO will have the ability to withhold reduce the contract only if the vendor violates the contract, leaving the county holding the bag.

Let me be clear.

This is permissive language.

There is no requirement that the CPA CPO ever use this.

But this limited language provides some backup in code for contracts gone wrong.

In those emergency situations, the CPA CPO may use their discretion.

There are many jurisdictions that already have this language.

I'm surprised Cook County does not.

Minnesota state law allows public bodies to retain percent 10% under Minnesota Minnesota State Section 1572.

In Indiana, under state code, government contracts allowed to withhold 10%.

In Arizona, in New York, in Vermont, in California, many other state statutes include this language.

At the federal level, the federal acquisition regulation governs payment withholding.

A standard withholding with them is 10%, just like our language.

If the vendor fails to meet specific compliance or performance standards, Baltimore, Atlanta, and the list goes on.

I understand the attorney for the board has contacted everybody with certain reservations.

And so when we first filed this back in May, we started discussing, and in the spirit of collaboration, after my considerable legal research four months and due diligence four months, I have personally contacted other jurisdictions to ask about how their language worked.

And speaking with the legal team in Atlanta and their CPO, who is also an attorney and a long-standing employee of the city of Atlanta.

They said that they have seen no increase in the dollar amount of their bids or contracts because this is such routine language.

That's not surprising given the extensive use of this type of language across the country and in the federal system.

Vendors are competitively bidding these contracts.

Any argument that vendors will upcharge 10% in anticipation of them failing to perform and getting that 10% back to the county doesn't have precedent that I can find.

In fact, Atlanta said the language itself is incentive enough to reduce non-performance.

If the federal government, many states and cities successfully use this, so should we.

A concern was that the language was somehow a penalty.

It is not.

We've spent months negotiating this language, address the requests and a substitute, perform months of due diligence and legal research to confirm it is right and it is solid.

I strenuously object to an 11th hour request for a deferral.

I am very confident in this language.

There is no additional information out there that would help make this decision better that we haven't already gathered and that I haven't presented to the board today, and in the subsequent weeks and prior.

This is very modest, it's very narrow, narrowly tailored, and it's an addition to our toolbox.

The county and the taxpayers deserve protection and predictability.

And in an era where citizen confidence in our electorate is feeling like it's an all-time low.

This is one way we can respond to our constituents, tell them we have heard them, and we have acted in their best interests.

I ask for an I vote.

Okay.

If I didn't do, please add Commissioner Kevin.

I thought I did it when you came in, when you walked in.

Yes.

You were he was added.

Yes.

When you walked in, Kevin.

They asked, I said I did it prior.

You are on all the roll calls, yes.

Otherwise, you couldn't say uh Marita.

Thank you, Chair.

Um I think we heard from members of the uh women in minority business community that there are concerns and they are asking for a deferral of just more time to discuss their concerns.

I I think we all agree with the intent of this policy, but I think that there are components that are a 10 percent is not necessarily modest.

30 days is not necessarily narrowly tailored, and I think some of these things, especially when we think about some of our smaller DBEs that um have are already dealing with a lot of uh challenges at the federal level, um, at least having a process to hear them out and make sure that they are um heard in this process.

And so um I make a motion to defer is substituted.

It's been moved by Commissioner Rita.

Second.

Second by Commissioner Vasquez to defer item as substituted 261514.

All those Commissioner Aguilar.

Yeah, I agree with Commissioner uh uh Marita that uh if it can include the small business associations and business chambers of commerce into discussion.

Okay.

Roll call.

Chairman, this is a roll call on the motion to defer, correct?

Correct.

Okay.

Uh as to substitute it.

Thank you.

Commissioner Aguilar, your vote I.

Commissioner Aguilar is I.

Commissioner Naya.

Chairman, if I can be indulged with a quick second.

Um I uh typically uh do not like doing this in the 11th hour in regards to deferral.

Um I am a true believer in the spirit and what this um ordinance states.

We need a mechanism.

We absolutely need a mechanism here in Cook County, being the second largest county in the country to ensure that there are uh accountability measures for bad actors.

We have seen them come before the county.

Um, and it it absolutely worries me that we don't have anything.

But out of courtesy um for a lot of uh the members that have uh come and have approached, I will be voting aye uh for deferral, but just want to you know make it clear that I hope that the administration um along with uh Commissioner Degnan uh work together to find a solution and that we have a mechanism in place because I believe that this is what we need here in Cook County.

Thank you, Chair.

Commissioner Naya's vote is aye.

Commissioner Britton is absent.

Commissioner Degnan.

No.

Commissioner Degnan's vote is no.

Commissioner Gaynor is absent.

And excused.

Um Chairman, you're I'm sorry, Vice Chairman's vote.

I will vote in favor of deferral, but want to first acknowledge the research and the spirit of this uh work by Commissioner Degnan.

But I also um want to stress should defer all be ultimately the vote of this board.

I would like to see us utilize this time to have our state's attorney address whether this language is suggestive of liquidated damages or a penalty.

And the reason why I note that is because pursuant to Illinois law, courts have voided contract clauses if the court determines the clause is a penalty and not liquidated damages.

Therefore, this seems to me to be the primary issue.

And while there are other jurisdictions which have weighed in, we need our state's attorney to do so to protect the interest of this board in Cook County.

So you're going to request an opinion from the States Attorney.

That is my request on the record.

And I think that Commissioner is a good question.

If there's deferral, if there's deferral.

But you must you, as a commissioner, you will requ request it.

I will make that request.

Thank you.

Vice Chair Laurie's vote is I.

Commissioner McCasco.

Chair, I would be voting in the affirmative for the deferral, understanding the intent.

It should be penalties for those that are not doing the work that is required as what we've seen with that very particular organization.

However, and I am also asking that the board not allow this to linger, that we actually identify a date on which we will convene with the various businesses that want to participate to actually um look into the language and rewrite.

So my vote is aye.

Commissioner McCasco is aye.

Commissioner Miller.

Thank you.

And I had confidence that in this, the way this is written, that if it's an egregious case of over three million, that the CPO also has a tool to recoup this this funding, the cost I mean, for the lack of performance.

And lack of performance does not only extend to these uh contracts that are like Tyler.

We want to ensure that it doesn't happen in other instances.

And I'm also confident that the CPO will do their due diligence with the M's in WBE.

So that firms are not harmed.

And the engagement that has come at the last minute is appreciated, but it also should be something that people are paying attention to as things sit in committee.

That's why we're in committee.

So I will vote no on deferment.

Commissioner Miller's vote is no.

Commissioner Moore is excused and absent, and so was Commissioner Gaynor, excused and absent.

Commissioner Marita.

Um I appreciate Commissioner Lowry's suggestion as well to be added to the process, and I vote aye.

Commissioner Marita's vote is aye.

Commissioner Kevin Morrison.

I want to first uh share my appreciation with all the work that Commissioner Dugman has placed uh in moving forward uh on this.

And you know, honestly, I I do think we need something part of our code to hold uh these big contracts accountable and ensure that they are holding firm to what they have signed on to do out of respect for uh all of our taxpayers here in the county.

Now I do hear the concerns, especially uh from a lot of subcontractors concerning fears uh that this will place additional burdens on them.

I am amenable to allowing for more conversations to be had, but that does not mean that I do not support the current language, but I'm amenable to having those conversations and seeing in the coming months whether or not uh an additional language change might be needed.

Uh so for that I will vote aye for deferral.

Commissioner Kevin Morrison's vote is aye.

Commissioner Sean Morrison is absent and excused.

Uh Commissioner Scott.

Yes, like my my colleagues, uh, I think um the intent is where we want to be.

Uh I don't think that it is um.

I think it is our job as the board to do our due diligence due diligence to make sure it's not hurting small businesses as well as making sure that that code um that state code is the same as that the county code.

Uh and for that I will be an aye.

Commissioner Scott is aye.

Commissioner Stamps is absent.

And uh excused.

Commissioner Trevor.

Thank you.

Um I also want to express my uh respect for Commissioner Degnan and the work that was done on this.

I agree in principle for what this is trying to accomplish.

Um I also understand the enormous complexity of changing the terms of contracts throughout the county, and I think that considering the volume of requests we've got to sort of take a step back and do some evaluation of this.

Um, I will be voting aye for a deferment.

Thank you.

Commissioner Trevor's vote is aye.

Commissioner Vasquez.

Thank you.

Um similar to what my colleagues have stated, I think this is an important protection to consider.

Uh but I have personally heard from many subcontractors, Latino contractors, their concerns.

We need a month to socialize, and I saw last night there was a written commitment to take this back up in September, so I will be voting aye on deferral.

Thank you.

Commissioner Vasquez is I.

Chairman's vote.

Aye.

Chairman's vote is aye.

Chairman, this is your roll call vote.

10.

Yes, two, no, five absent.

The item uh is deferred as substituted two six one five one four.

Commissioner Dagnan.

I'd like to speak uh to move uh item number 26.

Commissioner Deggan moves to accept the substitute to 261784, second by commission second by Commissioner Renaya.

On the motion to accept all those in favor signify by saying aye.

Oppose the motion carries.

Commissioner Degman.

Thank you.

Um this is a proposed amendment to the same.

I'm sorry, Commissioner Degnan moves to approve as substituted.

261784, second by Commissioner Naya.

We had to accept the substitute.

Understood.

Uh so this is about proposed amendment to section 34-123.

In 2024, the board passed an update to the procurement code that included some substantial changes.

Prior to this code change, the CPO had flexible authority to extend contracts on his own without board approval for up to one year, and up to the amount of the contract authority, which is now 200,000.

After the code changed in 2024, the CPO was given new authority to extend and renew contracts for as many years as was included in the original board item.

This meant that any contracts, regardless of the original amount, could be renewed by the CPO without board input.

I have been a firm advocate of efficiency and fiscally responsible operations throughout my time here on the board.

We do, however, realize that code changes that take away our ability to review and consent to contracts cause downstream issues.

Being provided with the opportunity to vote on extensions and renewals is one of the most basic functions we have here on the board with our budget authority.

It allows us to take in account issues with the vendor, into account issues with a vendor, which has we have seen specifically with data sharing, privacy concerns, and AI usage.

It's been moved and seconded to approve the set item as substitute 261784.

All those in favor signify by saying aye.

Aye.

Oppose motion carries.

There's a sorry, Chair.

I just wanted to thank Commissioner Dagnan for all of the work that she did on this one particular.

I know some of us on the board when those uh contracts were coming automatically, we're a little confused, and we're not um uh fully supportive of of that specifically because it gives us um at the as a board an authority to be able to look over those contracts and and see if again if there is um anything that we can kind of um uh look at and and question in not in a in a bad way, but just to see the the status of some of these um as you all know.

Once um uh they come to committee, we have uh lengthy conversations regarding um what the vendors are doing, um what do they intend to do with an extension, whether it is a time extension or whether it's uh financial extension.

And I would say most of the time, if nearly a hundred percent um of the time, um we do agree with the extension, but um removing that authority from the board um uh was something that I I think was concerning uh to many of us.

So I just want to you know uh thank uh Commissioner Dugnan for looking into it and um working so diligently to um bring this forward.

Thank you.

Motion to adjourn by Commissioner Lowry, second by Commissioner uh Scott.

All those in favor signify by saying aye.

Oppose the motion carries.