Preckwinkle will go online to discuss budget

Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle will hold an online town hall at 7:15 p.m. Tuesday, Aug. 23. Cook County residents can “Tell Toni” their ideas about the Cook County budget and the important financial decisions that will be made in the coming weeks and months.

There will be video of the town hall live-streaming online at the President’s new budget website, www.cookcountyil.gov/Budget, where residents throughout the County can watch and participate. Participants can ask questions up until the day before the town hall at the President’s website at the “Tell Toni” page and on Twitter using the hashtag #TellToni. Questions can also be submitted online during the event.

“Cook County residents deserve to know how and why their money is being spent and I’m looking forward to talking with folks about the budget process,” Preckwinkle said. “It’s important to take advantage of whatever mediums exist to help bring more people to the table. I may not know a lot about Twitter, but I’m willing to learn if it will help better serve the people who elected me to this office.” On July 28, President Preckwinkle released a preliminary budget, the first in Cook County government. Citing the need for a more effective budget process, Preckwinkle issued an executive order on June 29 mandating a preliminary budget be issued by July 31 of each year.

The executive order also calls for a public hearing which will be held Aug. 25, in order to more fully engage the public in the budget process. Preckwinkle’s office says she will submit her executive budget recommendation no later than Oct. 31.