Cook County projecting $218 million budget deficit in 2025. No plans for tax hikes or layoffs.
CHICAGO (CBS) -- Cook County is preparing for a big budget gap in 2025.
County leaders released their preliminary budget forecast for next year on Wednesday. It calls for roughly $9 billion in spending, with a projected $218 million budget shortfall.
Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle has not said how the gap will be filled, but she said there will be no layoffs, program cuts, or tax hikes
Preckwinkle also noted the county will end 2024 with a projected $367 million budget surplus.
The county has also had a hard time filling vacancies. About 4,000 positions remain empty, many of them in the county's health system.
