Mike Quigley, Cook County Commissioner, 10th District

Choice of a county exec easy as 1-2-3: Bobbie Steele tapped as interim president

Chicago Tribune

July 20, 2006

By Mickey Ciokajlo

The standing-room-only crowd was prepared for a lengthy wait Wednesday morning as Cook County commissioners set about choosing an interim president.

But by the third vote, the mystery melted away and it became apparent that Commissioner Bobbie Steele would be tapped to fill the remaining four months of John Stroger's term in office.

Commissioner Earlean Collins, in recent years a key swing vote on the County Board, cast the decisive vote, tipping the scale for Steele.

Although they are African-American women and Democrats from Chicago's West Side, Collins and Steele have differed on issues before the board, particularly tax proposals that Collins has helped block.

But Collins said that once she knew Steele had eight votes lined up, she was willing to be the decisive ninth vote to avoid a protracted stalemate between Steele and Commissioner Forrest Claypool.

The 16 commissioners were prepared to vote--and vote again if needed--until one commissioner won the majority.

"We all have to respect the fact that we have to vote in accordance with our constituents," Collins said afterward in an interview. "It would not have been politically wise for me, or correct, to vote for Claypool at the time there was a woman, and especially an African-American woman, vying for that seat."

Steele, 68, a County Board member since 1986, will become its first female president when she takes office Aug. 1. The term expires Dec. 4.

Steele is replacing Stroger, who suffered a serious stroke in March and has announced his retirement effective July 31. Her selection came a day after Stroger's son, Chicago Ald. Todd Stroger (8th), won the Cook County Democratic Party's nomination to replace his father on the ballot in the Nov. 7 election against Republican Commissioner Tony Peraica.

An independent streak

On Monday, Steele withdrew her name from consideration for the party's nomination. In doing so, she insisted that she was the most qualified candidate for the job, and she refused to say whether she'd vote for Todd Stroger in November.

While she had been loyal to John Stroger, Steele made it clear Wednesday that she would not be taking direction from his son over the next four months.

"Consult with Todd? I think Todd should consult with me," Steele said when asked by reporters.

Todd Stroger called Steele to congratulate her Wednesday shortly after the vote was taken, said his spokesman, Bill Figel.

In a written statement, Todd Stroger said, "I congratulate Commissioner Steele on her election as interim president of the Cook County Board, and I believe the ease by which she was selected bodes well for the board in working together these next four months."

Steele said she will work to craft a 2007 budget that would seek to cut waste and streamline services. She would not rule out a tax increase.

"We must make hard decisions to become more efficient in all of our operations and we can start with a study of the Bureau of Health Services," Steele told commissioners before the vote. "The fact of the matter is the taxpayers are fed up with poor service and waste. They have entrusted their dollars with us and we owe it to them to demonstrate that we are serious about the use of these monies."

But she did not mention the $16 million deficit that auditors uncovered in 2001 at the Forest Preserve District, where she chairs the Finance Committee. Nor did she discuss the fact that the Contract Compliance Committee she chairs failed to meet for years as problems brewed.

After the vote, Claypool said he hoped Steele would propose a budget that protects services for the disadvantaged but does not raise taxes.

"In the past she's been very loyal to President Stroger and for that reason has been on the opposite side of me and others on issues like taxation," Claypool said. "But now she's in charge and hopefully she'll be loyal to herself and the taxpayers of Cook County."

Commissioners elected Steele over Claypool and Republican Carl Hansen. The winner needed nine votes and commissioners had predicted that none of them would claim victory on the first round of balloting.

Peraica said the board's five Republicans had planned to vote for Hansen, a 32-year board veteran, in the first round out of respect and as a tribute to him, and then shift their support to Claypool, a fiscal conservative. They never got the chance.

"The minute Collins voted it was over," said Commissioner Gregg Goslin (R-Glenview).

Claypool, who voted second, had originally voted for himself, but he recalled his vote and supported Steele after it became obvious Steele was on track to win.

After the roll call, Hansen motioned for the final vote to be recorded unanimously for Steele.

"This is a very personal issue. There's only 16 of us," said Commissioner Mike Quigley (D-Chicago), who nominated Claypool.

Need for unanimity cited

"This isn't Springfield or Washington, and we have close confines here and tough issues. And it's important that we show unanimity and support as we go forward because there's going to be enough issues that divide us in the next four months as we get through these tough times."

With the new position, Steele's pay will increase to $170,000 a year from $85,000. She could potentially boost her pension significantly if she retires at the end of the term, but she said she plans to remain on the board.

"I don't know what the future holds, but I do plan to come back as a commissioner," Steele said.

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