Cook County also administers the second-largest property taxation system in the United States. Within the County, there are more than 1.86 million taxable parcels of land with an annual collection of over $16.93 billion. Tax funds are distributed to over 2,200 local government agencies including school districts, villages, cities, townships, parks and forest preserves, libraries, and public health and safety agencies. 

Public health and public safety account for nearly 75% of the County’s operating budget. Over half of our spending, $5.24 billion, goes to the Cook County Health and Hospital System, which is also our largest revenue source. Cook County Hospitals work to provide social services and medical care that focuses on comprehensive, quality treatment for all individuals. Cook County also provides healthcare for qualifying residents through CountyCare. CountyCare has an average of 392,000 members per month. Members have access to 4,500 primary care providers, 20,000 specialists, and 70 hospitals throughout Cook County. CountyCare covers doctor and hospital visits, dental and vision care, prescriptions, and much more. Members also have access to behavioral health services like therapy and substance-use disorder treatment. To find more information about County healthcare and how you can get coverage, visit here.  

Public Safety is the second largest budget expenditure item at $1.69 billion. Cook County provides services for the protection of persons and property through the provision of a court system, a jail system, a Sheriff’s police force, prosecution, and public defense. The County operates the second-largest unified court system in the United States, hearing civil, criminal, and administrative cases. Cook County is also home to the second-largest prosecutor’s office in the nation, which is responsible for the prosecution of all misdemeanor and felony crimes committed in the County, and one of the largest criminal defense firms in the country with hundreds of attorneys charged with representing every type of criminal offense and child protection violation. The Cook County Department of Corrections is one of the largest single-site pretrial detention facilities in the United States.

The Cook County Justice Advisory Council (JAC) provides grants to organizations throughout Cook County working in the areas of Violence Prevention, Recidivism Reduction, and Restorative Justice. These programs work to reduce crime in our communities. The Public Guardian’s Office works to protect our most vulnerable citizens. It has three divisions. The Juvenile Division employs lawyers for abused and neglected children. The Adult Guardianship Division protects adults with disabilities and their estates. The Domestic Relations Division represents children in highly contested custody cases. If you would like to learn more or know someone who may benefit from the services of a Public Guardian, visit http://www.publicguardian.org/, or call my office at 312-603-6380.

At Cook County, we work hard to make sure we operate on a budget that is balanced, responsible, and shows a clear, long-term vision.   

For a deeper dive into the Cook County Budget click HERE. 

Remember: we get what we pay for.