OPENPUBLICA · PUBLIC MEETING RECORD
Record of Proceedings

Cook County Legislation & Intergovernmental Relations Committee Meeting – July 15, 2026

Board of Commissioners — Wednesday, July 15, 2026
BodyCook County, Illinois
SessionBoard of Commissioners
DateWednesday, July 15, 2026
StatusFILED
Video Record
0:00 / 2:19:59

Transcript — Verbatim
0:01

The hour of 1045 having arrived, the meeting of the legislation and intergovernmental relations committee of the Cook County Board of Commissioners will come to order.

0:08

Madam Secretary, will you please check the role and see that we have a quorum?

0:13

Ma'am, at your recess meeting, you had all members present.

0:16

I will add Commissioner Daly to the roll call.

0:19

Absences you have for Britain, then excuse for Gaynor.

0:24

Moore, Sean Morrison, and Commissioner Stamps.

0:28

There's a quorum.

0:29

Thank you.

0:29

Do we need a motion for any remote participation or not?

0:32

There's no request for remote participation.

0:35

Do we have any public speakers?

0:36

One speaker registered.

0:38

I don't see him at the moment.

0:39

George Blake Moore.

0:41

George Blake.

0:42

Ma'am, that concludes your list of speakers.

0:44

Great, thank you.

0:45

Commissioner Miller, would you be ready to move approval of the minutes?

0:48

Yes.

0:50

Yes, I'd like to move approval of the committee minutes from the June 10th, 2026 meeting, item number 26-1902.

0:57

Thank you.

0:58

Moved by Commissioner Miller, seconded by Commissioner Anaya.

1:01

Any discussion?

1:01

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

1:04

Opposed nay, and the opinion of the chair of the ayes have it.

1:07

Uh Commissioner Miller, will you please make a motion for the next item?

1:10

Yes, I'd like to move to approve item number 261754.

1:16

Uh, this is the appointment of Angela Manning Hardeman as Cook County's chief financial officer.

1:23

Move by Commissioner Miller, seconded by Commissioner Vasquez.

1:26

We'll now hear about Angela from Angela about uh her interest in this appointment.

1:32

Angela, would you please approach the podium?

1:36

Or the dais.

1:42

Hi, how are you?

1:47

Yeah, gentlemen.

1:49

Whoever we're hearing from Angela, Angela, please start.

1:53

Thank you.

1:53

Uh good afternoon, Chairman Degman.

1:59

You just have to get close to that.

2:01

Oh, okay.

2:02

Good afternoon, Chip Chair, Chair Degman and members of the Board of Commissioners.

2:07

Um, it is an honor to be with you today.

2:11

Yeah, you have to work to like.

2:13

Okay.

2:15

Okay.

2:16

I'm grateful to Madam President for appointing me to this role and for the opportunity to work with the county leadership and the board of commissioners to serve the people of Cook County.

2:27

My family couldn't be here with me today, but I do want to thank them for their unwavering support throughout my career.

2:33

It's been a journey.

2:36

Over the past three weeks, I have often been asked why Cook County.

2:41

And the answer is simple impact.

2:44

The CF role is challenging yet deeply rewarding because the work creates meaningful change.

2:51

In this position, that impact is visible every day across the region and in the lives of the people who call it home.

3:00

Furthering the great work of the county does, assisting residents, providing life safe saving care, promoting equity, encouraging innovation, and most importantly, making a difference was an opportunity I could not pass up.

3:18

The work the county is doing changes lives for the better, and that is something I wanted to be a part of.

3:25

The work is important, and the impact is immense.

3:30

As a lifelong Cook County resident, bringing 20 years of CFO experience to serve the county during one of its most challenging periods, also feels like a full circle moment.

3:42

Preparation meeting challenge.

3:55

Airports after 9-11, when O'Hare was labeled one of the nation's most delayed airports, while embarking on one of the most ambitious modernization efforts of its time.

4:07

Regional transportation planning during Illinois' historic 793-day budget impasse, which threatened to halt state-funded transportation construction projects.

4:19

Higher education as institutions confronted the academic enrollment cliff and the need to reimagine learning.

4:35

I proudly served as the CFO of O'Hare Midway Airports, the Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning, Illinois Institute of Technology, and Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory Fermi Lab during their most challenging times.

Discussion Breakdown — Share of Meeting
Public Transit███████████████████19%
Personnel Matters████████████████16%
Active Transportation████████████████16%
Procedural███████████11%
Community Engagement██████████10%
Transportation Safety█████████9%
Engineering And Infrastructure█████5%
Economic Development████4%
Environmental Protection████4%
Summary of Proceedings

Cook County Board Legislation & Intergovernmental Relations Committee Meeting – July 15, 2026

This meeting of the Legislation and Intergovernmental Relations Committee, chaired by Commissioner Degnan, was called to order at 10:45 a.m. A quorum was present with all members except Brittain (absent), Gaynor, Moore, Sean Morrison, and Stamps (excused). The committee considered the appointment of a new Chief Financial Officer, received an extensive presentation on the newly created Northern Illinois Transit Authority (NITA), and approved eight appointments to NITA and its service boards (CTA, Metra, PACE), as well as a routine intergovernmental agreement.

Consent Calendar

  • Approval of Minutes: The committee approved the minutes from the June 10, 2026 meeting (Item 26-1902) by voice vote.

Public Comments & Testimony

  • One member of the public, George Blake Moore, was registered to speak but did not appear. No public testimony was heard.

Discussion Items

1. Appointment of Chief Financial Officer

  • Angela Manning Hardeman was appointed as Cook County's Chief Financial Officer (Item 26-1754). She introduced herself, highlighting 20 years of CFO experience at O'Hare and Midway Airports, the Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning, the Illinois Institute of Technology, and Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory. She expressed commitment to building on the county's financial strength and addressing the upcoming budget deficit. Commissioners praised her extensive background, her leadership style, and her ability to navigate challenging financial periods. The motion was moved by Commissioner Miller, seconded by Commissioner Vasquez, and passed unanimously.

2. Northern Illinois Transit Authority (NITA) – Presentation and Appointments

  • Jesse Elam, Director of Strategic Planning and Policy at the Department of Transportation and Highways, presented an overview of the NITA Act (SB 211), enacted in December 2025. He explained that NITA replaces the Regional Transportation Authority (RTA), provides $1.2 billion in new annual operating funding, and creates a 20-member board with expanded powers in planning, budgeting, fare setting, and public safety. Key features include a coordinated service plan, a new distribution formula based on service standards, and a renewed focus on public safety through a sheriff-led task force and transit ambassador program.
  • Superintendent Sis Kellen (DOTH) then described the appointment process for Cook County. Under the new law, the County Board President now appoints eight directors (up from two) to serve on NITA and the service boards, with geographic and dual-role requirements. After a competitive process with 19 interviews, eight candidates were recommended.
  • The committee considered and approved each appointment separately, all by voice vote with unanimous support (Commissioner Trevor was recorded as present on one vote). Each appointee gave brief remarks and answered questions from commissioners.

Appointees:

  • Tom Katarick (CTA and NITA) – 3-year term. He shared his family's transit history and 25 years of transportation experience, including work for Senator Durbin and the Civic Committee. He emphasized the need for regional integration, better connections for the Red Line Extension, and performance management.
  • Ann B. Kallile (CTA) – 3-year term. A former U.S. GSA regional administrator and Cook County Bureau Chief of Asset Management, she stressed rider experience, economic development, sustainability, and addressing transit deserts.
  • Diane Williams (Metra and NITA, Southwest Cook County) – 3-year term. Former leader of the Safer Foundation and founding chair of the Southland Development Authority, she focused on safety, community engagement, and suburban connectivity. She noted that 36% of Metra riders and 43% of CTA riders are occasional users like herself.
  • Romain Brown (Metra and NITA, South Suburban Cook County) – 5-year term. Unable to attend due to a family emergency; her resume was reviewed and she was approved unanimously.
  • Joe Zaba (Metra) – 3-year term. Former trainman, mayor of Riverdale, and head of the Federal Railroad Administration, he stressed a culture of communication, holistic system thinking, and the need for suburb-to-suburb connections.
  • Mayor Rory Hoskins (PACE and NITA, West Suburban Cook County) – 5-year term. Mayor of Forest Park, he highlighted his community's unique transit hub role, support for electric buses, and the ambassador program. He also acknowledged the need to address transportation deserts.
  • Lewis Montgomery (PACE and NITA, North Suburban Cook County) – 3-year term. A civil engineer and regular transit user, he emphasized connectivity, specifically a potential Cottage Grove corridor linking to the Red Line Extension, and environmental sustainability.
  • Mayor Terry Wells (PACE) – 5-year term. Longest-serving African American mayor in Illinois (34 years in Phoenix) and 20-year PACE board member, he discussed PACE's progress on natural gas and electric buses, CDL training programs, and the importance of communication among municipalities and with the county board.

3. Intergovernmental Agreement with Illinois Criminal Justice Information Authority

  • Item 26-0724, a technical amendment to extend an intergovernmental agreement between the Justice Advisory Council and the Illinois Criminal Justice Information Authority (ICJIA) through June 30, 2027, was approved unanimously. The agreement supports capacity-building for violence prevention organizations under the Government Alliance for Safe Community. No fiscal impact was noted.

4. Deferral

  • Item 26-1745, a resolution congratulating the Cook County Clerk's office on receiving an election assistance award, was deferred by motion.

Key Outcomes

  • Appointment of Angela Manning Hardeman as CFO – Approved unanimously. Final approval by the full board expected July 16, 2026.
  • Eight NITA and service board appointments – All approved unanimously. Final approval expected July 16, 2026.
  • Intergovernmental agreement extension – Approved unanimously.
  • Item deferred – Resolution 26-1745 deferred by consensus.

The meeting adjourned at approximately 12:30 p.m., with the next committee scheduled to be Workers' Compensation.

Meeting Transcript

The hour of 1045 having arrived, the meeting of the legislation and intergovernmental relations committee of the Cook County Board of Commissioners will come to order. Madam Secretary, will you please check the role and see that we have a quorum? Ma'am, at your recess meeting, you had all members present. I will add Commissioner Daly to the roll call. Absences you have for Britain, then excuse for Gaynor. Moore, Sean Morrison, and Commissioner Stamps. There's a quorum. Thank you. Do we need a motion for any remote participation or not? There's no request for remote participation. Do we have any public speakers? One speaker registered. I don't see him at the moment. George Blake Moore. George Blake. Ma'am, that concludes your list of speakers. Great, thank you. Commissioner Miller, would you be ready to move approval of the minutes? Yes. Yes, I'd like to move approval of the committee minutes from the June 10th, 2026 meeting, item number 26-1902. Thank you. Moved by Commissioner Miller, seconded by Commissioner Anaya. Any discussion? If not, all those in favor signify by saying aye. Opposed nay, and the opinion of the chair of the ayes have it. Uh Commissioner Miller, will you please make a motion for the next item? Yes, I'd like to move to approve item number 261754. Uh, this is the appointment of Angela Manning Hardeman as Cook County's chief financial officer. Move by Commissioner Miller, seconded by Commissioner Vasquez. We'll now hear about Angela from Angela about uh her interest in this appointment. Angela, would you please approach the podium? Or the dais. Hi, how are you? Yeah, gentlemen. Whoever we're hearing from Angela, Angela, please start. Thank you. Uh good afternoon, Chairman Degman. You just have to get close to that. Oh, okay. Good afternoon, Chip Chair, Chair Degman and members of the Board of Commissioners. Um, it is an honor to be with you today. Yeah, you have to work to like. Okay. Okay. I'm grateful to Madam President for appointing me to this role and for the opportunity to work with the county leadership and the board of commissioners to serve the people of Cook County. My family couldn't be here with me today, but I do want to thank them for their unwavering support throughout my career. It's been a journey. Over the past three weeks, I have often been asked why Cook County. And the answer is simple impact. The CF role is challenging yet deeply rewarding because the work creates meaningful change.

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