Commissioners debate FY26 budget impacts of SB22 supplements, sheriff staffing and ambulance plans

Cook County commissioners spent the longest portion of their session on the proposed FY26 budget, pressing department leaders for choices to keep the county’s general fund balanced while accounting for one-time supplement funds labeled in the transcript as “SB 22.” The discussion mattered because departments used SB 22 supplements to raise salaries and hire new staff, and commissioners said the county cannot promise permanent raises with money that can be discontinued. “When the money goes away, then we won't supplement SB 22,” a commissioner said during the budget debate. County staff and elected officials described the core problem: departments used SB 22 supplement money to increase pay or hire new people, but rising employer benefit costs (including retirement and insurance) and a 3% general pay increase created a small but real deficit in some offices. Participants repeatedly stressed that the county’s long-term obligation rests with the general fund, not the temporary…