Cook County contracts need board vote

We're all for streamlining government. Eliminating layers can save taxpayers money as well as frustration.

But sometimes, knowing a particular government's history gives us second thoughts about efficiency efforts that also amount to less accountability.

That's the case with the Cook County Board, which recently voted unanimously that from now on, only expenditures over $150,000 will require the board's approval.

Our thoughts immediately go back to last year and the raft of slippery 24-9 contracts, so called because each was in the range of $24,900, just below the $25,000 threshold at which service and managerial contracts then required county board approval. (Contracts for buying supplies and equipment had a $50,000 limit.)

Those questionable no-vote-required contracts included one from former Cook County Board President Todd Stroger's chief of staff, Carla Oglesby, to her own public relations firm. Eight others, split up so they'd fall under the $25,000 limit, went for census outreach to be conducted by associates of Oglesby and of Stroger spokesman and childhood friend Eugene Mullins. Oglesby faces felony charges; Mullins has not been charged.

Now, current county board President Toni Preckwinkle is no Stroger.

In her nine months in office, Preckwinkle has given us no reason to suspect her reform agenda is less than sincere.

And raising the limit, at her urging, is not carte blanche for a new batch of 149-9 contracts. For one thing, all contracts will go through a county procurement office now. In the past, contracts too low for a county board vote needed only a department head's approval.

Preckwinkle promises all contracts will be posted online. And — here's a revolutionary idea — contractors will have to document that they really did the work for which they're collecting payment.

It all sounds good — except for that raised limit.

Preckwinkle won't be around forever; policies often outlast individual terms in office.

And this being Cook County, more scrutiny in public always is better than less.

We're confident other ways can be found to make the purchasing process more efficient. But if not, openness and accountability still have to be the trump cards.

We urge Preckwinkle and the county board to push the threshold for board approval back down to the level where it was before.

As for streamlining government, getting qualified contractors who provide the services they're paid for isn't such a bad deal for Cook County taxpayers.

We'll settle for it.