Cook County president presents $10,000,000,000 FY2026 executive budget; board refers measure to finance committee

Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle presented the Cook County executive budget recommendation for fiscal year 2026 and the board voted to refer the proposal to the Finance Committee for further consideration.

Preckwinkle told commissioners the executive recommendation is a moral document that prioritizes protecting the health care safety net, violence prevention, technology modernization, and economic and small-business development. “This budget is more than a ledger of dollars and cents,” Preckwinkle said. “It represents our collective commitment to fairness, to dignity, and to opportunity.”

Preckwinkle outlined a series of line-item commitments and program highlights in the speech, including support for Cook County Health and CountyCare, expanded community violence intervention funding, a medical debt relief initiative, investments in digital…