More Budget Reforms Coming to Cook County?
Newly elected Board President Toni Preckwinkle is saying and doing the right things when it comes to solving a budget crisis.
by Brian Costin
New Cook County Board President, Toni Preckwinkle, ran her campaign emphasizing fiscal stability and tax relief and won. Once elected she requested and received significant budget reforms and spending reductions from many departments within Cook County.
Also, the Cook County Board set a schedule for rolling back another .5% in their home rule sales tax rate by 2013.
Instead of balancing the budget on the backs of the taxpayers, Preckwinkle has had a promising start to her tenure. But to balance the budget in future years she knows she must make further reforms, especially when it comes to employee compensation.
A recent Sun-Times article highlighted Preckwinkle’s thoughts about this subject.
Preckwinkle talked on the campaign trail last year and said again Wednesday that, going back in time, public employees were not always paid the equivalent of those in the private sector, but that a good benefits package offset that.
But whats happened over time in part frankly because of the effectiveness of unions in advocating for their employees is that the salaries are more comparable, much more comparable and we still have really good benefits in comparison to people in the private sector, she said, adding: Were now in a position where public employees are seen as privileged in relation to the rest of the population because we have decent salaries and very good benefits.
In regards to solutions Preckwinkle raises the topic of reforming health care and making employee health care benefits more comparable to those in the private sector.
Preckwinkle said long-term solutions will likely mean county employees will have to pick up a larger share of health-care costs and pay more for pension benefits.
We pay about 4 percent of our health-care costs. I think that over the long term, thats just not sustainable. We have to step up as employees and pay a greater proportion of our health care, Preckwinkle told reporters Wednesday, echoing some of the same comments she made to the Sun-Times in an article about her first 100 days in office.
It looks as if Preckwinkle is saying and doing all of the right things when it comes to fixing Cook County’s budget problems. Let’s hope that she continues to make positive reforms and sets and example for the entire state on how to deal with a budget crisis.