Commissioners approve 2010 budget

UPDATE: 7:52 P.M.

It took all day, but they got it done.

The Cook County Board of Commissioners went back and forth for close to 10 hours before agreeing to pass the roughly $3 billion 2010 budget. Specifics on the dollar amount were unavailable Thursday night.

Some creative amendments axed the proposed Cook County Film Commission, created an agency to help homeowners fight foreclosure and contributed $32 million from agency budgets to counter the half-percent sales tax rollback.

Even if President Todd Stroger vetoes the rollback next Monday, it’s virtually irrelevant, as commissioners balanced the books to plug the gap left by lost tax revenue.

“It is my intent to end this meeting and past his budget today,” said Commissioner John Daley, head of the finance committee, at 11 a.m.

Commissioners agreed to withhold up to 3 percent of agency appropriations, totaling $32 million, effectively balancing the budget and bridging the rollback gap. It eliminated about $13 million from the health system’s budget, eliminating any cushion county hospitals may have hoped for.

Even if County Board President Todd Stroger decides to veto the rollback next week, the rainy day fund balances that.

“His veto now is irrelevant,” Commissioner Larry Suffredin said.

They found ways to cut the budget – refusing to fund the proposed film office backed by President Todd Stroger and taking the Cook County Department of Homeland Security to task.

County officials could not provide a firm dollar amount for the budget, but said that information would be available tomorrow.

It’s the second budget the county board passed in 2009; it finalized its fiscal year 2009 budget in February.

“I’m glad that we finally got a budget passed before February,” Stroger told commissioners after the vote.

Stroger congratulated the commissioners, but chided some in his party for voting against portions of the budget.

“I will let you know that if you look at the votes, we are Democrats and Republicans, and when you forget you’re a Democrat, that’s when you will fail,” he said. “Let’s not forget what we stand for.”

EARLIER

Cook County commissioners are voting on the 2010 budget today, and are in the midst of debating amendments to submitted budgets.

They began discussions at about 11, and are currently taking a break before resuming another 50-odd amendments. Then, if all goes well, the board will vote on the county’s entire budget for next year.

Some highlights from this morning’s amendment session:

• Commissioners voted to approve reserving about $32 million from different agencies’ budgets, putting a “hold” on 3 percent of their budgets. This effectively balances the books, making up for the $32 million hole created by Monday’s sales tax rollback. So even if President Todd Stroger decides next week to veto the rollback, the funds affected by the rollback have been rescued. Taking the biggest hit is the health system, which had about $13 million moved to a rainy day fund.

        “His veto now is irrelevant,” Commissioner Larry Suffredin said.

• Commissioner Earlean Collins pushed through a $3 million amendment to the budget that allows homeowners who are in foreclosure to work with county consultants and banks to negotiate their ways out of foreclosure.

        “Any time we can help people of this county, that is our duty,” said    Commissioner John Daley.

About 50 supporters of the amendment, from an organization called ActionNow, demonstrated in the lobby outside the commissioners’ chambers. They cheered and sang when the news was announced.

• The proposed Cook County Film Commission was voted down. The $265,000 office was deemed a worthy idea, but at the wrong time for county finances.
• Commissioners Collins and Bridget Gainer passed a measure to add eight beds to the Haymarket Center to house female inmate who have given birth. Gainer said when Haymarket is full, new mothers in the prison system are often separated from their child.
• A measure to create an independent bureau of county attorneys was created. It will assist county employees in civil suits, and replaces an old system that directed county employees to outside counsel, who were paid $185 an hour.

Commissioners are filing back in.

Commissioner William Beavers predicts the rest of the meeting – the 50-some amendments and the full budget vote – will be done in an hour. Reporters are skeptical.