County Board: No cuts for us
Want Stroger to trim from his office first
While the loudest battles have been over where to cut health care in Cook County, an unexpected skirmish broke out Tuesday over how much commissioners get to spend on themselves.
Some commissioners said they won't cut anything from their personal office budgets until board President Todd Stroger cuts some of what they consider management fat from his own operations.
And one commissioner said board members deserve more than what they're getting to run their offices and shouldn't have to cut their staff at all.
(Jean Lachat/Sun-Times)
Most commissioners have two to four staffers responsible for taking calls and complaints, directing constituents to county services and doing chief-of-staff duties.
Commissioners -- who are paid $85,000 a year and have access to what critics say is a "gold plated" pension program -- also use their office funds for travel, to subscribe to magazines, join organizations and print newsletters and other literature.
In a budget hearing Tuesday, Commissioner Earlean Collins challenged Stroger to "lead by example" and eliminate patronage jobs she says still line the budget.
"Until I see a level playing field ... I'm not cutting one dime," she said. "This is not a child's game here."
Stroger has been under fire for not appearing before the public to answer criticism about his proposed budget.
Stroger spokesman Steve Mayberry said Stroger has cut 17 percent from his office budget by demanding staffers take 20 unpaid days off.
"If you're looking for him to set the example, it's time to step up because he's done the right thing," Mayberry said.
But Commissioner Deborah Sims said commissioners "already have less staff than anyone else" and "I'd like us to reconsider that 17 percent" cut Stroger asked them all to take.
Though it is close, there is not yet a majority of board support to push a tax increase.
So instead, some commissioners are cutting staff or asking their staff to take up to one unpaid furlough day a week.
And while Stroger is asking staff to take furlough days, Daley has said that won't help with the 2008 budget. Other commissioners worry about the legalities of Stroger's demand that staffers work on those unpaid days.
Today, the hospital budget will be scrutinized. Next week, amendments are expected to begin significantly altering a $3 billion budget that must be passed by Feb. 28.