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Public speaker urges Cook County to fund $7.5 million permanent guaranteed-income program
Summary
A registered public speaker urged the Cook County board to adopt a $7.5 million permanent guaranteed-income program for FY2026, calling $500-per-month stipends a "lifeline" and saying more than 5,000 residents pledged support.
A public speaker registered for the meeting and announced by staff as Jermaine Wells urged the board to approve a $7,500,000 permanent guaranteed-income program in the FY2026 budget. "This investment is not just a line item. It is a promise," the speaker said, arguing that monthly payments give families stability and dignity.
Jermaine Wells said $500 per month — a figure the speaker named repeatedly — can keep families housed, pay medication and groceries and ‘‘provide stability during an emergency.’’ The speaker described organizing with groups including Community Change Action and workers' centers and said "more than 5,000 pledged their support" for the program.
Wells framed the measure as both moral and fiscally sensible, saying stable incomes reduce long-term social-service costs and strengthen communities. No county response to the substantive funding request was recorded during this session; the board recessed for the finance committee to continue work on budget items.
