2015 Proposed Executive Budget, Finance Committee's Meetings with Departments on October 16, 2014

Bureau of Finance

The meeting was sparsely attended by Commissioners Garcia and Sims, with Commissioner Daley presiding at 9:30am. 

The Dept of Revenue Manager, Zahra Ali, talked about changing from manual ticket writing to a computerized system. They are still choosing the appropriate technology, but want to hire 9 more positions to generate tickets. 

Commissioners Gorman, Butler, Moore, and Schneider joined the meeting.

The Dept of Risk Management under Deanna Zalas, has worked on its STAR goals to reduce workers compensation claims.  Schneider said that under Ms. Zalas the Risk Management group has gotten much better at keeping track of its 1350 outstanding workers comp claims.  The claims that are 8 to 12 years old are the tough cases and unlikely to return to light duty work, but those cases are being resolved.

Commissioners Fritchey and Steele joined the meeting.

Risk Management also handles healthcare negotiations and negotiated a 3.5% increase rather than a 5.9% increase first presented by BCBS.  Comm. Steele asked if there were wellness programs for workers linked to premium reductions, like in the City of Chicago, and Ms. Zalas said she plans to attempt to link wellness programs with health premiums in the next round of union negotiations.

Lawrence Wilson, County Comptroller, presented his budget and STAR goals.  While the Comptroller’s office has improved on all its STAR goals, Comm. Daley suggested that the independent elected officials needed to get their invoices and revenues into the comptroller in a more timely fashion.  The new Accounts Payable system was implemented in August.  90% of county employees receive their paychecks by direct deposit.

The Comptroller is working on setting up the County’s bank audit. 

The Office of Contract Compliance is headed by Jacqueline Gomez, whose main task is to make sure that the County’s information on MBE/WBE is statistically reliable and can be used in the event of a lawsuit.  The County was sued several years ago and was not able to prove compliance with minority hiring.  Comm. Steele noted that Ms. Gomez has improved the office greatly.  She has ordered a Disparity Study by Consultant Collette Halt in order to document the County’s compliance.

The Office of Enterprise Resource Planning is the County’s office of technology.  They have implemented a new payroll system update that includes biometric time clocks.  Tom Lynch, the manager of ERP, is still in the process of formulating the RFP for the master software system for Cook County.  Comm. Moore wanted to make sure the county is considering MBE/WBE companies.  The kind of software Cook County needs is only sold by a handful of large companies, but Mr. Lynch assured Mr. Moore that the implementation  phase would include minority companies.

Office of Procurement is led by Shannon Andrews.  For the first time the county is selling obsolete equipment,  mostly vehicles, via the “Public Surplus” website.  They have so far raised $79,000.

Andrea Gibson, the Budget and Management Services manager, has produced a budget that assigns costs to departments rather than relying on chargebacks at a later date.  The “Fixed Charges” budget category should be going away in future years.  She was present throughout the day.

Department of Administrative Hearings

John Allen leads this department and has implemented a web-based ticket contesting software to allow more fair and efficient compliance.  He has also tried to accommodate ticket recipients in branch Cook County courthouses rather than requiring a hearing downtown.  The department has handled 40,000 cases in 2014 with just 8 full time hearings officers presiding at the hearings.  Comm. Daley claimed to have seen a huge improvement in efficiency and response.

The dept. has assessed $11 million in fines in 2014.  Fines collected go into the general fund for the County.

Juvenile Temporary Detention Center  1pm

This is the last meeting that Earl Dunlop will be attending.  He is the interim head of JTDC and has been in Chicago since 2007.  Theresa Abrue is the acting CEO at JTDC, for two years now.

Commissioners Sims, Fritchey, Butler, Schneider, Moore, Steele, and Sims attended with Daley presiding.

Mr. Dunlop thanked the board and president for their support over the years.  He had been called in because of “gladiator rooms” and federal court intervention.

Mr. Dunlop said that things have improved but the two issues that most have to be dealt with are racial disparity and the serious union issues.  99% of the detainees at the JTDC are black and Hispanic.  He has never played favorites and has registered over 2000 disciplinary actions in those 7 years.  Many of the worst employee offenders are no longer employed by JTDC.

More women than men are in leadership positions.  He wants to make sure that someone at the county level discover why AOIC (Administrative Office of Illinois Courts) funding of $100 million halted in 2008.  It would significantly help the budget.

Comm. Sims told Mr. Dunlop that he should not continue to hire people, rather that Judge Evans should be allowed to appoint his own people.  Mr. Dunlop stated that he would continue to hire the best people for the job.  Comm. Schneider said that JTDC is not the right way to deal with young criminal offenders, and that Mr. Dunlop’s original task was to improve JTDC as it existed, not re-create it the way it should be.  The County spends $200,000 per year per bed for each young person at JTDC.

Mr. Dunlop said that this is not the right model for dealing with young people.  It is a holding facility, not a treatment center.  When he worked in Indiana, the detention center was able to get federal monies because it was an unlocked facility and considered voluntary.  Mr. Dunlop would rather see the money go back to the communities rather than to hold people in temporary detention.

Submitted by Amy Little