Chicago Daily Observer

Cook County Board President Todd Stroger has been roundly criticized for next year’s proposed budget, but in a new report, the Civic Federation says county board members should share in the brickbats.

It was the county board, after all, that earlier this year overwhelmingly approved $270 million in union and non-union salary and benefit increases, the report points out. And the board also unanimously approved $140 million in other contract increases while still owing $145 million in sales tax anticipation notes issued this past summer to limp through the year.

Three days after the Cook County Health and Hospitals System publicly debated and passed a “billion-dollar budget,” it continued Monday to refuse to present the document to the public.

The failure to produce the document also comes three days after Cook County Chief Financial Officer Donna Dunnings promised a reporter the document would be produced Monday.

Cook County’s hospitals and clinics would be turned over to a seven-member board of health professionals who would have taxing authority but whose budgets would still be ultimately approved by the Cook County board, under a proposal made public this week.