Preckwinkle: Nothing Pleasant About Hundreds Of Layoffs
CHICAGO (CBS) -- Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle says she has an agreement with the majority of Commissioners on a package that will balance the County's 2018 Budget.
15 of the 17 Cook County Board members have signed on as co-sponsors to budget amendments that Board President Toni Preckwinkle says will close the shortfall caused by the repeal of the county's unpopular sweetened beverage tax.
The package includes some 425 layoffs, most of which are in middle management in the offices of the chief judge and the sheriff.
Peckwinkle alluded to this earlier in the week.
"There's nothing pleasant about the need to impose hundreds of layoffs and what that could mean to services we offer county residents," said Preckwinkle. "I came to this job with the full understanding that it would require making hard choices and we've made hard choices."
The plan also calls for eliminating more than 762 currently vacant jobs.
The county board's finance committee is expected to hold a special meeting Tuesday to act on the plan.