Cook County Board of Commissioners Meeting – July 16, 2026
Cook County Board of Commissioners Meeting – July 16, 2026
The Cook County Board of Commissioners convened on July 16, 2026, at 6:00 PM. The meeting began with a land acknowledgement, a roll call (Commissioners Britton, Gaynor, Moore, and Sean Morrison were absent; several others were excused), and a statement of quorum. Public testimony was heard from two speakers before the board moved through a consent calendar of celebratory resolutions and ceremonial recognitions. No legislative or policy votes were taken.
Public Comments & Testimony
- Judge Blake Moore (in-person) criticized the city and county governments for systemic racism, corruption, and the economic displacement of Black residents. He argued that Black communities have been "gentrified out" and that government fails to provide liberty and justice for Black populations, referencing a loss of Black-owned banks, businesses, and hospitals.
- Mark Armstrong (remote) spoke against what he called "carpetbagging" in immigration policy, questioned the historical account of Chicago's founding by Jean Baptiste Point du Sable (claiming Du Sable was a French national and that his indigenous wife was erased), and argued that illegal entry into the U.S. is a criminal, not just civil, matter. He urged elected officials to be equally sensitive to the grief of U.S. citizen families who have lost children, stating "all lives matter."
Consent Calendar – Ceremonial Resolutions & Recognitions
Commissioners presented resolutions under the consent calendar, limited to two per commissioner. Summaries and photo opportunities followed each presentation.
- Commissioner Daly presented a resolution honoring Louis Faberito for his decades of service to Stickney Township, notably bringing the new Stickney Township Senior Center to fruition. Mr. Faberito thanked the board and recounted his personal history in the township.
- Commissioner Dugnan recognized Cook County's record 115 NACO awards for innovative county programs, including Digital Inclusion Week, Racial Equity Week, the Property Tax Reform Working Group, early eviction resolution, modular home pilots, solar power, naloxone access, and the pretrial seed program. Awards also went to Cook County Health, the Assessor's Office, the Land Bank, the County Clerk, Clerk of the Circuit Court, and the Forest Preserves.
- Commissioner Lowry honored St. Procopius Catholic Church (Pilsen) on its 150th anniversary, and presented a resolution recognizing July as Disability Pride Month in Cook County, noting the upcoming 36th anniversary of the ADA and current rollbacks of protections. Representatives from Access Living and the Center for Disability and Elder Law accepted.
- Commissioner Miller honored Mother Khadijah Farrakhan (passed away), first lady of the Nation of Islam, for her life of service and advocacy. He also recognized the United Negro College Fund (UNCF) 2026 Walk for Education, noting that Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle is the honorary chair and that UNCF has raised over $6 billion and helped more than 550,000 students.
- Commissioner Morrison (Kevin) recognized Non-Binary People’s Day (July 14) and World Day Against Trafficking in Persons (July 30), reaffirming Cook County’s commitment to protecting vulnerable populations.
- Commissioner Miller also presented resolutions for Will Pauling (signed by the San Francisco 49ers as an undrafted free agent) and Lewis Bond (drafted by the Houston Texans in 2026). Family members accepted on their behalf.
- Commissioner Miller’s intern, Quentin Stevens, presented a resolution honoring Mentoring Youth Through Technology (MYTT) for over a decade of STEM education, serving approximately 800 youth in 2025 across Southland Cook County.
- Commissioner Vasquez presented a resolution recognizing Chicago’s four-star rating as a Welcoming City from Welcoming America. Beatrice Ponce de Leon and Jesus del Toro of the city’s Office of Immigrant, Migrant and Refugee Rights accepted.
- Commissioner Aguilar presented resolutions for: (1) The Zakat Foundation of America (Safa), celebrating 25 years of charitable work, including sponsoring 637 orphans across 15 countries; (2) Solidarity with Venezuelan civilians affected by a devastating earthquake, recognizing the efforts of Casa Venezuela of Illinois, the Illinois Venezuelan Alliance (IVA), and PANAS Chicago to collect aid. Halil Demir, executive director of Safa, thanked the board and highlighted the county’s support during COVID-19.
- Commissioner Aguilar also presented an honorary resolution for the Berkeley Public Library’s 80th anniversary, accepted by assistant director Isabel La Babera.
Key Outcomes
- No legislative votes or policy decisions were recorded; the meeting was entirely ceremonial and adjourned by voice vote following a motion by Commissioner Vasquez, seconded by Commissioner Miller. Commissioners Lowry and Miller requested to be added as co-sponsors on the Zakat Foundation resolution (Item 26-2009), which was granted.
- Public testimony was heard but no actions taken in response.
- The board acknowledged the next meeting date only as "Tuesday."
Meeting Transcript
Here we go. Yes. The meeting of the Cook County Board of Commissioners will come to order. The clerk will call the room. Commissioner Aguilar. Commissioner Naya. Commissioner Britton, absent. Commissioner Daly. Here. Commissioner Dugnan. Commissioner Gaynor, excused absence. Commissioner Lowry. Present. Commissioner McCaskill. Commissioner Miller. Miller here. Commissioner Moore, excuse absence. Commissioner Marita. Commissioner Kevin Morrison. Commissioner Sean Morrison, excused absence. Commissioner Scott. Commissioner Scott absent. Commissioner Stamps. Commissioner Stamps excused absence. Commissioner Trevor. Commissioner Vasquez. Chairman, you have a quorum. Commissioner Lowe. There's no request for remote. Commissioner Marita. Cook County resides on lands that have been home to indigenous people for thousands of years. The Pottawatomie, Ojibwa, Ottawa, and dozens of nations were the custodians and caretakers of this land for centuries before European colonization. Truth and acknowledgement are critical to building understanding and mutual respect across all cultures, traditions, and heritages. By reading the statement, Cook County recognizes the past wrongdoings as well as present harm upon people, tribal lands, and governments. We honor the indigenous people, past and present, and pause to remember the acts of violence, displacement, colonization, and removal of the original inhabitants of this land. With this land acknowledgement, Cook County commits to learning more about and doing better to support the county's native and indigenous residents as we work towards equity for all of Cook County. We'll begin with public speakers, and the Secretary will outline the uh quorum. Thank you, Chairman. Members of the public who wish to testify have up until 24 hours before the scheduled start of the meeting. Speakers will have three minutes to address the body and will be alerted when they have one minute remaining, 30 seconds remain, and when time has expired. Translation services are available for this meeting. If you need assistance, please put forth a request in the teams chat or see a staff member in the boardroom. Persons authorized to provide public testimony shall not use vulgar, abusive, discriminatory, profane, or otherwise inappropriate language when addressing the body. Failure to act appropriately or failure to adhere to the time requirements may result in expulsion from the meeting and or disqualifying the person from providing future testimony. Written only comments provided to the start of the meeting will be made part of the meeting record. We have one in-person speaker and one uh connected virtually, Judge Blake Moore. You have three minutes to address the body. We have two branches for government here. We have the city and we have the county. Where are you, Mr.
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