Preckwinkle: Counties To Submit Early Plans To Curb 'Irresponsible' Budget Planning
CHICAGO (STMW) -- Several months after the Cook County Board pulled an all-nighter to craft a spending plan, Board President Toni Preckwinkle is setting new deadlines she hopes will avoid a repeat performance.
Today Preckwinkle ordered all county departments and agencies to submit preliminary budgets by the end of July to speed up the process.
The board president's office also will host a series of public hearings in August to give taxpayers a chance to weigh in, Preckwinkle said.
At the end of February, the County Board spent 19 hours haggling over this year's $3.05 billion budget. It was Preckwinkle's first spending blueprint after taking office in December and she won unanimous approval from commissioners.
But it passed three months after the county's budget year began on Dec. 1, which Preckwinkle called "irresponsible."
"The reason we're having earlier deadlines is that it's irresponsible not to get your budget passed before the beginning of the fiscal year," she said. "And that should be the pattern and practice always. This year is no different."
Under the executive order, departments of other elected officials are required to submit a proposed budget by July 31. If a department fails to do so, Preckwinkle's budget office will create one for that department, county officials said.
"We can't continue a piecemeal approach to budgeting," she said. "We have to restore fiscal responsibility to our government and I intend to lead by example."
Preckwinkle will submit an executive budget recommendation to county commissioners no later than Oct. 31. It will include a three-year financial outlook for both revenues and expenditures.
Preckwinkle and her budget director, Andrea Gibson, declined to comment on any projected shortfalls for 2012. Last year, the county was forced to plug a $487 million deficit with a mix of furlough days, layoffs, spending cuts and government shutdown days, among other things.
Preckwinkle did say that furlough days could be in the mix again for county employees next year.
She also said she would not be taking a raise next year and would continue with the 10 percent salary cut she imposed on herself throughout the rest of her term.
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