Cook County president outlines $9.9 billion FY2025 budget; board moves proposal to finance committee

Tony Perkwinkle, president of the Cook County Board of Commissioners, delivered the administration's proposed $9.9 billion fiscal year 2025 budget and urged the board to refer the measure to the Finance Committee. "We are doing more than ever without asking more from our taxpayers," Perkwinkle said, framing the plan as the continuation of pandemic-era investments and structural fiscal reforms.

Perkwinkle told commissioners the county used American Rescue Plan Act funding and careful fiscal management to stabilize finances, secure multiple bond-rating upgrades and avoid tax increases. He said Cook County received $1 billion in ARPA funds and highlighted programs the administration intends to expand in 2025, including infrastructure work, lead-service-line replacement, climate resiliency planning and new behavioral-health initiatives.

Among the administration's specific items, Perkwinkle said the county has completed 106 lead-service-line replacements at child-care facilities across more than 30 suburban communities and aims to expand the program to about 450 replacements by the end of 2026. He also named a $30.5 million ARPA-funded infrastructure initiative (Build Cook), cited an Old Orchard Road bridge project ($34.5 million) and a $92 million Tuohy Avenue congestion-reduction project slated to begin next year. Perkwinkle announced $14 million for climate-resiliency planning and $15 million toward the county's Clean Energy Plan goal of 100% renewable electricity for county buildings by 2030.

Perkwinkle also described health and human-service priorities in the proposed budget: a clinical triage and stabilization center at Provident Hospital, the completion of a countywide behavioral-health strategic plan with 11 regional collaboratives, the expansion of front-door navigation for outpatient behavioral-health programs in partnership with NAMI Chicago, and the continuation of the county's guaranteed-income pilot, which provides $500 a month to 3,250 families.

After Perkwinkle's address, a commissioner moved to refer item 24-5641, the president's recommended Cook County executive budget resolution and annual appropriation bill for fiscal year 2025, to the Finance Committee under state statute. The motion was seconded and passed by roll call, 17 yeas, 0 nays. The vote record showed all present commissioners recording aye votes on the referral.

The board then considered item 24-5650, a request to discharge item 24-5321 from the Health and Hospitals Committee; 24-5321 is listed in the agenda as approval of the appointment and compensation package for a candidate to serve as Cook County Health Executive Officer. The motion to discharge 24-5321 and to approve a separate lease amendment request (24-4994, the fourth amendment to a lease agreement) was moved, seconded and carried by roll call, 17 yeas, 0 nays.

Earlier in the meeting, staff announced one public speaker. Mark Armstrong urged the county to fund local cultural and recreation projects, including an effort he described as the Cook County Hip Hop Olympics and a field-house addition in the Maple Park subdivision. "That's our community, and we want it," Armstrong said.

The meeting concluded after the board approved the motions on the agenda and the chair declared the ayes had it. The referral to the Finance Committee is the next procedural step for the proposed FY2025 budget; committees will review details and may return recommendations to the full board.