The impact of our efforts to modernize court operations.

By replacing outdated paper processes with secure digital data exchange, we've improved accuracy, reduced administrative delays, and increased transparency, while continuing to expand the program across Cook County.

These improvements are not simply about technology, they're about making government work better for the people we serve.

We have continued expanding online services that reduce unnecessary trips to the courthouse, simplify interactions with the court system, and improve access for working families, seniors, and residents with disabilities.

We relocated our self-represented litigant center to a more visible location to help those who are representing themselves.

In fact, since 2026, we've had about 10,000 people make contact with the center.

We've advanced legislation to establish a will depository.

The bipartisan legislation establishes a statewide county level will depository system across Illinois, offering residents a secure and accessible option to protect original wills during their lifetime.

We hosted our second annual second chance summit, a countywide initiative to ensure that the legal right to expungement and record ceiling is not only guaranteed in statute, but also accessible in practice to every eligible Cook County resident.

Internally, we've remained focused on strengthening accountability.

Our financial oversight practices continue to ensure responsible management of public resources while identifying opportunities to improve efficiency across the organization.

We've continued investing in employee development because well-trained public servants provide better service, reduce errors, and build greater public confidence.

Our commitment to accessibility extends far beyond the courthouse.

People of Cook County should not have to navigate government alone.

Government should meet people where they are.

Through all of this, we have remained disciplined in how we manage taxpayer resources, and we continue to evaluate expenditures carefully, responsibly, and pursue operational improvements that strengthen service while protecting public dollars.

With regards to our corporate budget, for fiscal year 27, the clerk of the circuit court is requesting a corporate fund budget of 129.7 million dollars.

This represents an increase of approximately 7.6 million or 6.2% over the 26 approved appropriation of 122 million dollars.

However, it is important to put this increase into context.

The

fiscal year 27 budget absorbs approximately 11 million dollars in increased costs, including employee step increases, the 4% cost of living adjustment, increased employee benefit costs, and the loss of the transportation related home rule tax credit.

These costs include approximately $4 million in salary step and COLA increases, along with significant increases in health insurance, pharmacy insurance, medical, dental, vision, life insurance, and other employee-related expenses.

In addition, the clerk's office will no longer receive approximately $3.18 million in transportation related home rule tax credits that was budgeted in fiscal year 26.

Despite absorbing these significant increases, our requested increase in non-personnel expenditures is only approximately $874,000.

Again, the overall increase in our budget is not being driven by a major expansion of programs or discretionary spending.

A substantial portion is attributable to personnel costs, employee benefits, contractual obligations, and the loss of prior year credit.

Across the clerk's office, total staffing decreases from 1,405 full-time positions to 1,387 full-time positions, which reflects the reduction of 18 full-time equivalent positions.

Therefore, while our personnel costs are increasing, our actual number of positions is decreasing.

Turning to our special purpose fund requests, the court administrative fund request is approximately 1.14 million, an increase of 483,000, which represents a 73% increase.

The increase is primarily attributable to the funds 406,000 share of the Tyler contract, step increases, COLA increases, and increased county indirect costs.

The electronic citation fund request is approximately 1.13 million dollars, which is actually a slight decrease from fiscal year 26.

The court document storage fund request is approximately 10 million dollars, an increase of approximately 1.6 million.

The primary drivers of the funds share is the Tyler contract, step increases, COLA increases, and approximately $900 $87,000 in increased county indirect costs.

An increase of approximately $2.38 million.

Again, this increase is attributable to the funds share of the Tyler contract, step increases, COLA increases, and approximately $1.5 million in increased county indirect costs.

Our salary and wages show an increase of approximately $6.7 million or $1.8%.

Again, this increase incorporates the 4% COLA, employee step increases, increased benefit costs while simultaneously reducing our workforce by 18 positions.

Now moving to our non-personnel items with regards to contractual services, our contractual services request decreases by approximately 177,000 or 6.2%.

Our supplies and materials request decreases by approximately 205,000 or 35.7%.

Our operation and maintenance requests increase by approximately 678,000 or 8.6%.

Our rental and leasing request decreases by approximately 233,000 or 62.9%.

As you consider our fiscal year 27 budget request, I'd like to emphasize several points.

The clerk's office is requesting a 6.2% increase in its corporate fund budget, but that increase must be viewed alongside approximately 11.1 million dollars in absorbed cost increases and lost credits.

We are absorbing the 4% COLA and employee step increases.

We are absorbing higher employee benefit costs.

We are absorbing increased technology costs that were previously paid in the public safety fund and indirect costs in the special purpose fund.

We are absorbing the loss of approximately $3.18 million in transportation related home rule tax credits.

At the same time, we are reluctantly reducing staff by 18 full-time positions, decreasing contractual services, decreasing supplies and materials.

Our fiscal year 27 request represents a careful balance between fiscal responsibility and our responsibility to maintain the financial operational technological infrastructure necessary to serve the circuit court of Cook County.

We understand the county's fiscal challenge and we remain committed to being responsible stewards of taxpayer dollars.

We also have a responsibility to ensure that reductions do not compromise the clerk's statutory duties, our internal controls, our court operations, our public access, our financial accountability, or the security and integrity of court records.

I

would like to add to this that we continue to have increased data requests.

We had over 700 uh data requests last year, and I know at the mid-year presentation, we requested three additional staffers to just be able to address those requests, and that would be in our MIS division.

But

the budget doesn't end here.

So we had to find staff and we are overextended with regards to our court clerks.

We could use an additional four positions to be able to address all these needs.

In addition, we just received a request to add an additional courtroom, and we have to provide a clerk for that courtroom.

So