Dueling Audits & Other Issues Raised as Clerk of the Court Emphasizes Progress with Technology

2016 Cook County Proposed Budget:  Clerk of the Circuit Court, October 29, 2015

The 65-page budget presentation provided to the Finance Committee by the Clerk of the Circuit Court, Dorothy Brown, may be found under “Meeting Details” for the Finance Committee’s October 29 meeting in the http://cook-county.legistar.com web site.  The Clerk emphasized the progress being made to utilize technology to eliminate paper and to provide faster and more accurate service to judges, attorneys, and the public.  The office has come under criticism for incomplete files, slow service, and the time being taken to roll out electronic filings throughout the court system.  The Clerk stated that all paper documents are now imaged which allows for electronic access in all areas of the law, except minor traffic ticket cases, which should be implemented in 2016.  Currently her office is reviewing responses for a new case management system.  However, only a few questions were raised by the Commissioners with regard to the office’s use of technology.  The Clerk emphasized that the increase in the budget for 2016 is due solely to salary increases for union and non-union employees which have been approved by the County Board.

Dueling Audits

Clerk Brown told the Finance Committee that an independent audit of the financial statements of the Office issued in May of 2015 for fiscal year 2014 showed no concerns.  However, Commissioner Suffredin said that there were a number of concerns raised in the audit done by the County Auditor which the Commissioners had received the day before.  Commissioner Suffredin said that the County Audit stated that no response has been received from the Clerk to the issues raised, which would have been expected.  Clerk Brown said that there were many inaccuracies in the County Audit and she complained that she had never been invited to a conference with the County Auditor, which should be normal procedure.  County Auditor Shelley Banks was asked to respond, and she stated that her office had followed normal procedures and had worked with both the Chief of Staff and the Chief Financial Officer under Clerk Brown; both of these employees had been involved throughout the audit process. Commissioner Suffredin urged Clerk Brown to provide a response to the Auditor quickly prior to the Board’s Audit Committee meeting on this audit. The Commissioner also stated that the Board has full confidence in the County Auditor.

Commissioner Moore asked about the $600,000 being budgeted for overtime.  The Clerk stated that while she tries to utilize shifts to minimize overtime, if a case goes late, the clerk employee must stay.  Commissioner Daley asked when all the court records will be consolidated in the new Cicero storage facility.  The Clerk stated that all records at the Hawthorne facility will be transferred by the end of 2015, while those at Rockwell will be moved in 2016.  The Clerk explained that the Board did not appropriate the money to do the moves sooner.  Commissioner Garcia asked about complaints he has heard as a result of the Sheriff’s office receiving inaccurate or incomplete court records for determining whether someone should be released or retained at the jail.  The Clerk stated the problem was with the Sheriff’s system which needs to be reprogrammed.  [Note: this issue was not raised when the Sheriff appeared before the Finance Committee on November 2.]

-- Priscilla Mims, League Observer

May 8, 2013 Cook County Board Meeting

Public Comment Returns to All Meetings

Source of Income Amendment Passes

After several years of advocacy on the part of the League of Women Voters of Cook County, the Cook County Board amended its Rules of Organization and Procedure to return a public comment period to all its Board and Committee meetings.  In addition, the Board passed an amendment that eliminates a landlord’s right to refuse to rent to someone solely on the basis that that person participates in the Federal Section 8 housing assistance program.  The Cook County League has also been supporting the passage of this amendment known as the “Source of Income (SOI)” amendment.

In other business, the Board referred a proposed ordinance regulating the carrying of concealed weapons to the Legislation and Intergovernmental Affairs Committee.  Committee Chair and amendment sponsor Larry Suffredin explained that this proposed ordinance would be held in committee to see if the Illinois legislature and governor would enact a concealed weapon statute in conformance with a recent federal court order.  If the State does not act within the time limit specified by the court, then the Committee will take up this item, including holding hearings on this proposed ordinance. (This was New Item #4 on the agenda.)

The Board also approved the appointment of Shelly Banks as Cook County Auditor for a 5-year term. Ms. Banks is a CPA and has most recently served as the Chief Internal Auditor with the Illinois State Lottery.

Public Testimony

Under the Amendment to the Rules that was first discussed in the Legislation and Intergovernmental Affairs Committee on May 8 prior to the Board Meeting, in order to testify at a Board or Committee meeting, a speaker must register with the Secretary to the Board at least 24 hours in advance of the meeting.  Public testimony must be germane to a specific item or items on the agenda, and the testimony must not exceed three minutes.  Anyone failing to adhere to these conditions or failing to act appropriately when addressing the Board may be expelled from the meeting or may be disqualified from testifying in the future.  The Chair of the meeting may grant leave for someone who has not met the advance registration requirement to speak if conditions permit.  As Commissioner Suffredin explained to the League representatives present, one of the purposes of the advance notice requirement is so people have some idea as to how long public comment will take so that any necessary adjustments to the day’s schedule can be made.

As originally proposed, the amendment would have had public testimony come at the end of the meeting.  The League contacted the Commissioners to urge that testimony come prior to the Commissioners taking any action on an agenda item so the Commissioners would have the benefit of such testimony.  Following that contact, the League was informed that a substitute ordinance amendment would be introduced in Committee which provided for public testimony at the start of meetings as the normal order of business.  League Co-President Karin Hribar testified at the Committee meeting in favor of this substituted amendment, which was then passed by the Committee. The Committee Report for this May 8 meeting was then passed by the Board at the Board meeting that day.

SOI Amendment

In a meeting of the Board’s Human Relations Committee on July 24, 2012, the Committee approved a proposed amendment to Chapter 42, Sections 42-37 and 42-38 of the County Code which would eliminate a landlord’s ability to refuse to rent to someone who participated in the Federal Section 8 housing assistance program.  That Committee Report and the items contained therein, however, was not presented to the full Board until this May 8 meeting.  This particular item was pulled out from the report for separate discussion by the Board.  At the beginning of the Board meeting, public testimony was allowed with 9 speakers in favor of the amendment and two speakers opposing it.  Those in support argued that no one should be discriminated on the basis of their source of income and that anyone receiving Section 8 support should be allowed to live anywhere in Cook County.  It was pointed out that the city of Chicago did not allow a renter to be turned away solely because of Section 8 assistance.  Those who spoke in opposition expressed concerns that landlords would have additional paperwork and other requirements.  The League was one of the members of the group supporting this amendment.

The SOI amendment was approved 9 to 6.  Voting yes:  Butler, Fritchey, Gainer, Garcia, Moore, Reyes, Sims, Steele, and Suffredin.  Voting no:  Daley, Gorman, Goslin, Murphy, Schneider, and Silvestri.  Absent:  Collins and Tobolski.  Prior to the vote, President Preckwinkle stated that she would appreciate a vote in favor. 

-- submitted by Priscilla Mims, League Observer