THE JOURNAL & TOPICS NEWSPAPERS | WEDNESDAY, JULY 16, 2008
County Commish To Meet Nearby
Cook County Commissioner Larry Suffredin will hold a "meet up" with Niles Township Democrats to discuss the county's recent sales tax increase and shed light on changes in the county health system tomorrow (Thursday, July 17) at the Edwardo's Pizza on Gross Point Road in Skokie.
Suffredin said the new county health governing board takes control away from Cook County Board President Todd Stroger and would save about $284 million in waste and mismanagement.
Suffredin admitted that an example of mismanagement is not even attempting to get money for services from people who might have insurance. He said only about 3% of the health system's users have private insurance. A full 58% have no coverage of any kind, the rest have Medicaid, Medicare or Social Security.
"Unlike the state, it's at least functional," Suffredin said of the county board.
He will also discuss the county's recent sales tax increase, now at 10% one of the highest in the nation. Suffredin opposed the tax hike but said the county only has two options, sales tax or property tax for revenue.
Last August at a meeting of 10th District Democrats, Suffredin was not at all shy about criticizing financial management within the county. He said sometimes money was transferred from one fund to another and called a loan, sometimes a grant and sometimes not called anything at all.
"We've tightened up the process for transfers of funds," he said, emphasizing that the board is being held to stricter auditing standards.
He also admitted that local townships are performing some of the work in unincorporated areas that might otherwise be performed by the county.
Suffredin said his goal is to see unincorporated areas in Cook County incorporated by 2015.