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Public commenters press Cook County on language access, tribal certification and allegations about OIIG handling of complaints
Summary
Public testimony at the March 12 Cook County Board meeting covered concerns about internal investigations at the Office of the Inspector General, language protections for immigrant communities, inclusion of tribal entities in minority business certification, and services for people with developmental disabilities.
Several members of the public addressed the Cook County Board of Commissioners on March 12, raising distinct concerns about county oversight, language access and services for people with disabilities.
An individual who identified themself as a former Cook County Department of Revenue employee alleged problems with the county Office of the Inspector General (OIG). The speaker said the office had declined to investigate prior complaints, did not provide whistleblower protection and had failed to publish findings in a later probe; the speaker characterized the OIG’s budget request as an effort to “maintain the appearance of independence.” These comments were delivered as a public allegation; no board action was recorded in response and no OIG representative replied on the record.
Several other speakers urged the board to adopt protections for language and to expand language access. Grace Pye, executive director of Asian Americans Advancing Justice Chicago, and Sarah Tang of the Coalition for a Better Chinese American Community both spoke in support of an amendment to the Cook County Human Rights Ordinance to include linguistic characteristics as part of national origin protections. Pye said language “shapes our cultural identities” and cited Census figures for limited-English proficiency; Tang described a case where a non-English-speaking resident nearly lost a housing benefit for lack of translated documents.
Tony Dei of the Haitian Community Organization asked the county to include Haitian Creole in language access materials, noting the community’s needs in hospitals and DMV materials. Daniel Keesas, who identified himself as a Prairie Band Potawatomi Nation member and employee, requested that the county’s minority-owned business certification process be updated to allow tribal entities and tribes — not just individuals — to obtain certification.
Other public comments included requests to secure donated or low-cost facilities for the veterans-focused nonprofit Flags of the Heart, concerns about continuity of occupational and developmental-disability therapies and calls to employ people with disabilities. Speakers urged the board to consider training and family supports for people with rare genetic disorders.
The public comment period concluded without direct board responses to every speaker; the record shows that several of the issues raised — notably language protections and tribal certification — dovetailed with items later discussed or acted on by the board in committee business that day.
No formal investigation outcomes or policy changes were announced on the record in response to the OIG allegation during the meeting.
