Cook County puts surplus good up for auction

From an old piano to a pair of meat slicers, Cook County is generating revenue by selling obsolete and occasionally odd property on an online auction site.

"These items are helping the county bring in money instead of collecting dust in a warehouse," said Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle. "By auctioning unused property, we are reducing waste, creating new revenue and encouraging fiscal responsibility. We will continue pushing for innovative ways to create revenue without further burdening Cook County taxpayers."

From nursery chairs to dump trucks, auctioning surplus equipment makes money for the county and clears out storage space. It is managed by the Office of the Chief Procurement Officer and populated with items identified by the Bureau of Administration and Sheriff's Office, and in three months, the county has auctioned off nearly $100,000 of property.

The county has had a salvage division for some time which previously focused on recycling, re-use or disposal of equipment and materials no longer needed by different county departments. About two years ago, the Preckwinkle administration began looking into the idea of selling, through auction, surplus equipment and material. Much of the equipment and material was stored in the county's warehouse or, in the case of vehicles, was sitting unused in garages or maintenance yards.

Some of the property available: a pool table, mirrors, hutches, dressers, metal cots, dump trucks, cars, pickup trucks and thousands of light bulbs.

The bidding is at publicsurplus.com. Call the Office of the Chief Procurement Officer at (312) 603-5370 for details.