Mike Quigley, Cook County Commissioner, 10th District

County faces $44 million shortfall

Elmwood Park Elm Leaves

June 21, 2006

By John Huston

Amid questions about who is running Cook County government, a finance report is expected to be released Tuesday showing a $44 million revenue shortfall.

Commissioner Mike Quigley, D-10th, of Chicago said the county is on the verge of a crisis.

"It's not doomsday yet," Quigley said. "But doomsday is on the calendar."

The majority of the revenue shortfall comes from the health department, primarily the John H. Stroger Jr. Hospital of Cook County, which reported two months ago being $17 million behind its revenue projections in the first quarter. Health revenues don't include any seasonal spikes, so projections can be made relatively accurately, Quigley said.

"For the most part health revenues are pretty linear," Quigley said. "You'd expect this is in the area of $80-90 million by the end of the year. I don't know how they'd make up for it."

The blooming budget crisis comes at a time when the county's leadership is in question.

County Board president John Stroger, D-4th, of Chicago, suffered a major stroke in mid-March. Reports have varied as to his condition and ability to return to the position.

Quigley said the budget crisis needs to be addressed now.

"It's a decision that an elected official needs to act on, not the staff of the president," he said.

Quigley offered four choices the county has to correct the revenue shortfall: Expand credit, dig into cash reserves, increase taxes or cut spending.

Drama increases

"We better make those choices soon," he said. "The longer you wait, the more dramatic those choices will have to be."

In Stroger's absence, and without official word on when he will return, there is no policy or procedure for naming a temporary replacement to assume his duties.

Commissioners have argued on how to address the problem. Stroger allies say his privacy needs to be respected and he needs to be given time to return.

Anthony Peraica, R-16th, of Riverside, is Stroger's opponent in the November election. At the board's June 6 meeting Peraica introduced a resolution calling for a public hearing, complete with testimony from Stroger's doctors, as to his condition and ability to serve his position -- which could lead to his seat being declared vacant.

But the resolution was met with partisan opposition, as the board's nine Democrats voted not to send it to the finance committee for consideration.

However, many Democrats, including Quigley and Larry Suffredin, D-13th, of Evanston, agree that leadership needs to be defined.

Suffredin drafted a resolution for the board to consider at Tuesday's meeting that would ask Stroger to voluntarily relinquish his powers to a temporary president, while continuing to receive his salary and health benefits, with the proviso that he be allowed to return to the position once he's ready.

Commissioners Peter N. Silvestri, R-9th, of Elmwood Park and Gregg Goslin, R-14th, of Glenview, quickly signed on as co-sponsors.

Suffredin admitted that the resolution isn't powerful, but said it might be able to pick up more support.

"President Stroger or whoever can veto anything we pass, so I've got to come up with something that's going to get a unanimous vote so that way it can't be vetoed," Suffredin said. "Then we could appoint an acting president.

"(Peraica's) resolution was so over the top that it just creates this backlash."

Peraica criticized the notion of passing a resolution that is based on Stroger volunteering to give up his power.

"You know what the chances of that are? Zero," Peraica said. "Therefore it has no teeth. The resolution I put forth was worked on for days by three separate election attorneys."

An interim president could only be chosen if Stroger's seat is declared vacant and the candidate could only be chosen from a member of the sitting board.

Two candidates have publicly expressed interest in the interim spot: John P. Daley, D-11th, and Bobbie L. Steele, D-2nd, both of Chicago.

Peraica said he's not going to endorse anyone when they might wind up being his opponent in the Nov. 7 election.

Suffredin said he'd back Steele.

"My feeling is that it needs to be an African American," Suffredin said. "With that being the feeling, there are four candidates. (Steele) has probably been the person with the most leadership experience."

Steele is chair of several county committees, including the powerful rules committee.

Silvestri said Daley would likely have the most support, partly because he is the chairman of the finance committee.

However, if Stroger bows out of his campaign, his replacement on the ballot would be chosen by the 80 city ward and suburban township Democratic committeemen.

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