Toni Preckwinkle: 2022 candidate for Cook County Board president

Bio

Party: Democrat

Office sought: Cook County Board president

City: Chicago

Age: 75

Occupation: Cook County Board president

Previous offices held: Alderman City of Chicago

Q&A

Q: What is the county board's role in addressing rising crime rates and what specific policies, programs or initiatives might you support toward reducing violence in Cook County?

A: One of the County's two legacy responsibilities is overseeing the criminal justice system. As such, advancing criminal justice reform has been a guiding principle of my administration and this means creating a fair and equitable system that increases access to justice for all. I remain committed to creating a safe and equitable criminal justice system and working with all relevant stakeholders, including the Sheriff, Chief Judge, State's Attorney.

Last month, Cook County announced $75 million in gun violence reduction and prevention grants through the Cook County Justice Advisory Council, made possible by federal American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funding. The grant initiative was designed as a direct response to the increasing rates of gun violence during the pandemic. When awarding the grants, we prioritized community areas and municipalities in the County with the highest rates of gun violence.

Q: Where do you see the greatest need for transportation enhancements in Cook County and how would you address that on the county board?

A: Effective, reliable and affordable transportation is a matter of equity. One example I am particularly proud of is the Fair Transit South Cook pilot project. During my last term, my administration and Cook County Department of Transportation and Highways identified a need for increased and more affordable transportation service on the south side of the City of Chicago and the South Suburbs. We launched the Fair Transit South Cook pilot in January 2021 to address this need. The three-year pilot project reduced fares by up to 50% on the Metra Electric and Rock Island lines and increased service on the Pace Route 352 Halsted bus.

After the first year of the pilot, our results have shown that ridership on the Metra Electric and Rock Island lines are recovering at a faster rate than the rest of the Metra system and that commuters from lower income neighborhoods are using and benefiting most from the fare reductions on the Metra Electric line and the service improvements.

Q: Should the county board enact a fuel or sales tax holiday to assist residents struggling with rising costs of gas, groceries and other needs? Why or why not?

A: We are not currently exploring proposals for a fuel or sales tax holiday, but Cook County has created other initiatives to address the impacts of rising costs of gas, groceries and other needs. One way we will do this is through a guaranteed income pilot that will provide 3,250 residents with $500 monthly payments for 24 months. By giving residents the flexibility to make their own spending decisions, we have the unique ability to lift people and families out of poverty. I am also in favor of federal policies for a guaranteed income program or extensions of the child tax credit program.

Q: What is one county service that is not adequately provided or could be improved in your district, and how would you address that?

A: While the County does not typically deal with education policy or oversee school systems, education is near to my heart as a former teacher.

During the pandemic, we saw nationally how learning loss was magnified, particularly for young children. My office was able to launch Project Rainbow, an initiative seeking to address learning loss by creating and curating free early childhood and educational programming and developing Cook County's first-ever mobile app.

More than twenty institutions, including Microsoft, the Golden Foundation, and the Erikson Institute, partnered with Cook County to create this creative and beneficial initiative. Project Rainbow is the first of its kind of initiative at the County level and a shining example of public-private partnerships.

Q: Do you see the Cook County government serving the city of Chicago too much and not paying enough attention to the needs in the suburbs?

A: While the City of Chicago is wholly contained within Cook County, there are more than 130 municipalities and townships in Cook County. I'm proud of my administration's increased focus on municipal engagement and coordination, which was particularly helpful during COVID-19 when it was necessary to regularly and urgently distribute information and resources as the pandemic evolved.

My administration has developed strong relationships with suburban mayors and managers throughout Cook County, which allows us to coordinate initiatives and increase lines of communication and deliver to all 5.2 million residents.

We will also continue to focus our ARPA funding and initiatives on suburban Cook County residents, with 70% of our funding allocated for suburban residents. Programs like the guaranteed income pilot and elimination of medical debt will similarly be focused on suburban residents.

Q: What's your view of the Chicago Bears' possible move to Arlington Heights? Do you think that would put a strain on Cook County government, such as with sheriff's patrols, other services, or infrastructure needs? Or do you think it would help other Cook County businesses and tax revenue?

A: I do not wish to speculate about the Chicago Bears' possible move to Arlington Heights until their plans for a new stadium are made final. If and when the team makes their move official, Cook County will certainly be open to conversations about infrastructure needs and other services as it would relate to a new facility.

Q: Do you support efforts to further restrict guns sales or access to guns otherwise in light of the Highland Park mass shooting, and/or in light of continuing gun violence overall?

A: Gun violence in Cook County, and in the United States as a whole is an epidemic. It is incumbent upon us all to support efforts to further restrict gun sales and access to guns. I am committed to doing everything possible at the County level to implement common-sense gun control laws, as well as working with the General Assembly on state level legislation.

Q: How could Cook County benefit from recently passed federal spending measures, such as on infrastructure, health care and climate change?

A: Since President Biden took office, my administration has had the privilege of collaborating with the federal government on a number of initiatives. Since we were allocated $1 billion in ARPA funding, I've seen firsthand the opportunity that this once-in-a-lifetime funding will have directly on our residents. My administration has taken a broad approach to the potential of infrastructure.