>> Cook County is considering a 9.6 billion dollar budget proposal for the next fiscal year President Toni Preckwinkle says her plan closes the projected 550 million dollar budget gap without any new taxes, fees or layoffs that comes as the county grapples with unprecedented federal funding cuts and threats from the Trump administration.

Toni Preckwinkle joins us now to talk more about what's in store for the county.

Welcome back.

Madam President, thank Thank you.

So you previously told reporters that this plan was made possible by budget Magic had to do it.

Well, the first thing I want to thank our finance teams, not just the president won led by Angela Manning Hartman.

But our our finance teams over the last 16 years because where Anna Sound financial footing and that's enabled us to meet the challenges of the present budget cycle.

The first thing we did was ask for Belt tightening.

We asked our departments and DeRozan separately elected officials to cut their budgets and that was about 8% cuts in those budgets week.

We look you some of our reserves.

Because of fiscal responsibility over the last 16 years, we do have reserves that we can tap in emergencies.

And this truly an emergency situation.

>> We reduced vacancies.

So we took a lot of steps close to 550 million dollar gap.

The gap was caused mainly by changes in the federal government's Medicaid program and buy a lawsuit against the county by road builders that allege that we were not appropriately using transportation related revenues.

And that is continuing to be litigated.

We've appealed.

Weve appealed the initial decision was that went against us.

But that that road builders suit withdrew 250 million dollars from our budget on annual basis last year there before this year.

So that's a 250 million dollar gap to close.

And then as a result of the federal changes in Medicaid.

We lost 138 million dollars in revenue and suffered additional 100 million dollars in charity care.

But as people lost Medicaid coverage could no longer afford it on the exchanges.

So we've we've we faced some real challenges brought on by the lawsuit in by federal changes in Medicaid.

You mentioned, you know, asking agencies and county departments to do some belt tightening.

Do more with less.

Could that have an impact on services?

>> No, we've done it without without challenging.

Our services are.

>> Or the programs that we've we've been so proud of.

laying off workers >> of course talk about health care because it is a huge part of your budget with more than 4 billion dollars dedicated to county wide services.

And of course, the federal funding cuts that you've already referenced.

Well, how's the county preparing what could be a surge in patients that is expected with with these impacts from the federal healthcare cuts was.

I said earlier we we've seen 100 million dollar increase in our charity care already.

>> We anticipate greater impacts in the years to come as Medicaid continues to change in ways that that will make fewer people eligible for Medicaid coverage, which was deliberate.

And this is an effort to it's not a frontal assault, but it's an effort to reduce federal support for health care in this country, which I think is abomination.

>> And that said, how how can the county continue paying for out on what it costs this year?

More than more than expected?

Because of because of these cuts where we're going to continue to look for efficiencies and continue to tighten our belts.

But, you know, we've we've kind of swept the covered bear and you can only do that once.

During recent budget hearing states attorney Eileen o Burke called for more staff While other commissioners criticized overtime spending for employees in the Cook County Jail where you stand on those issues.

Well, we went to every separately elected official and said you're going to have to cut your budget.

Those elected officials pursued that in a variety of different ways.

Many of them eliminated vacant positions.

For example, or made other cuts in on personnel, areas of their budgets.

You we're in a situation where separately elected are always going to want more than we can provide given the revenues that we have.

I think it's it's instructive that there were no amendments to the budget this time to accommodate those who wanted more.

Cook County, as you mentioned, are going to have to dip into your fiscal reserves in order to balance the budget COVID dollars running out at the end of the year.

>> How have you made sure that, you know, in the absence of those COVID dollars when they go away, that that doesn't create another hole in the budget for you.

>> Well, we put aside last year and this year to sustain some of the programs that we had initiated with American Rescue Plan Act resources.

So we have a fun that's that's available to to cover those costs we're going we're going to have to look carefully.

However.

At our future expenses and budget for federal fiscal year.

28 and we may have to raise revenue.

Okay.

It's a more about that because as it is, of course, the View said that, you you're not gonna be able to keep going back to this well, to the reserves into the changes that you've made this year.

>> What is an increase in revenue look like going forward next year?

Well, that's to be determined that there's a January one imposition of work requirements for Medicaid recipients.

We don't know how that's going to impact those who receive Medicaid coverage or are health and hospital system so weak.

We kind of have to wait and see starting in January what the impact is and our preliminary budget is due in in June.

We have hearings in July.

So we'll by the by the first 6 months of the year will know pretty much but the impact it's going to be these federal changes.

You won reelection last week, a tying the record for a 5th term and on.

>> By the time you're done, you will have sort of tied the record for to the person who served longest in this position.

Boaters are urged an George done.

That's the one voters have already flipped.

All county board seats blue after the 17th district elected Democratic nominee, at least half of Berg.

Do you think having now entirely blue board makes any changes or any difference in the way the county board operates?

Well, I have one Republican in last cycle on the board and he was reasonable responsible.

I don't think there's going to be much change.

Okay.

So business as usual.

Not that business as usual.

But not a lot of Not a lot of ground.

Not a lot of that.

Illinois was also part of this nationwide blue wave that we're all witnessing.

What would you like to see from the newly elected leaders who the state is sending to Washington?

Well, first of all, I'm grateful to the American people I was pretty discouraged.

By Trump's reelection thus the cycle restored my faith and not simply that a man, some of the things that happened were astonishing.

We elected a Native American woman to be governor of New Mexico.

We elected a Bettina to be governor of Texas for heaven's sake and all of the statewide constitutional offices in Georgia are now held by black women.

But I I would my joke is I wouldn't bet a nickel if you did, you have >> I mean, some amazing things happen.

Then it's a message to the Democrats that we have to make some changes.

>> And it was also a referendum on President Trump pretty resounding rejection of, you know, the state of our economy, the war and and the Middle East hit the corruption.

Frankly, the plagues him and his family members.

>> Have you have you made contact with any of these elected the newly elected on their priorities?

call him to congratulate him, but I haven't talked about their priorities.

No business yet.

No, I'm midterms may be over Chicago's preparing course because we are always getting ready for an election to vote for the next mayor and city council members in the last election.

Of course, you endorsed former commissioner current Mayor Brandon Johnson, head of the runoffs.

Are you planning on and supporting him endorsing him or anyone else?

This I haven't made any commitments to anyone and I won't through this first cycle.

We'll see what happens in the runoff.

You've also said that you would like to make looking for a successor, one of your priorities.

This term.

You've said that this last term, this term will be your last what qualities and experience to think an expert president will need.

Well, the first thing I'm looking for someone who shares my values move, put a lot of emphasis on trying improve the quality of care that we deliver our health and hospital system and the efficiency with which we do that criminal justice reform.

And pleased to say that that has been remarkably successful reforms that preceded as crime has decreased, gone down, particularly murders.

I think since.

2021 at the height of the pandemic, murders are down 50% from that point in the city of Chicago in the county of Cook.

So we've made some astonishing progress in terms of dealing with crime through our investments in not only violence prevention, but in the neighborhoods that have struggled the most with violence.

So fiscal responsibility, you know.

Working on on helping our health and hospital system perform it at peak and working on criminal justice reformer are the big issues that we've tackle.

But we've also, you know, have a program as a result of our on helping folks eliminate medical debt.

We've worked with modular housing developers to to produce affordable housing initiated a lot of of programs that we hope to continue.

I hope that I can find a successor who believes in some of the same that will have to leave.

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