Preckwinkle retreats on budget plan to charge unincorporated Cook residents for sheriff patrols

Cook County sheriffs patrol unincorporated Cook County. Preckwinkle wants residents to pay for the service.

(CHICAGO) – After running into a political buzz-saw, Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle today announced the formation of a 13-member taskforce to examine costs of services, such as Cook County Sheriff patrols, provided to unincorporated Cook County.

“Residents throughout the County have reached out to both me and their Commissioners to let us know that the current way services are provided to unincorporated areas is either inequitable or inefficient,” said Preckwinkle.

The translation: voters were pissed and complained.

The taskforce will include non-profit, civic and community leaders from throughout the County and will report back in 120 days on its recommendations to deliver services in unincorporated Cook County.  Civic organizations such as the Civic Federation, Metropolitan Planning Council, Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning and the Metropolitan Mayors’ Caucus will support Preckwinkle’s panel.

“I believe a proposal as dramatic as this one clearly needs to be planned out,” Schneider said County Commissioner Tim Schneider (R-15th).

Preckwinkle will offset the costs of those services in the FY2012 Budget by allocating an additional $5 million from the Motor Fuel Tax Bonds to better reflect the timing of debt service payments.

Preckwinkle wants to end the subsidy for police services for only 2% of the County’s population that live in unincorporated Cook paid for by the remaining 98% of residents.

The task force will present its plan by March 1, 2012.