IN ORDER TO BUILD AN HONEST BUDGET AND TAX SYSTEM, WE MUST…

• …CREATE A SEARCHABLE ONLINE CHECK REGISTER: Every expended dollar will be searchable on this database within thirty (30) days of the expenditure. This online database will give free, easy access to all concerned citizens, advocacy groups, and media outlets who keep Cook County honest.
• …DEVELOP MEASURABLE BASELINE PERFORMANCE STANDARDS: The quarterly budget performance measures are sorely lacking in one respect in that they don’t contain baseline measures. I will require that all Cook County agencies state what goals they’re meeting, and what a measure of success would be.
• …HOLD QUARTERLY PUBLIC BUDGET REVIEWS: The taxpayers own every dollar we expend on their behalf, and they have a right to know and directly discuss budget concerns in an open forum. Five regional budget review forums will be held every quarter for Cook County.
• …PASS A TAXPAYER BILL OF RIGHTS ORDINANCE: Cook County must maintain a stable budget and tax system for generations, and in order to do that, we must have an ordinance that firmly puts control of tax increases in the hands of the public. All tax increases should be approved by referendum.

IN ORDER TO BUILD AN EFFICIENT BUDGET AND TAX SYSTEM, WE MUST…

• …IMMEDIATELY ROLL BACK THE SALES TAX TO ¾%: Retail sales are down across Cook County. Some communities on the border have seen precipitous drops in the range of 30% or more. Businesses are leaving, and communities are without jobs so long as our tax rate is so high.
• …REDUCE SPENDING: Our budget is bloated and taxes high because the county government never learns to be more productive in providing services to Cook County. I will see that all county agencies reduce their budgets by 10%, the Office of the President will reduce its budget 20%, and the highway department’s budget will be reduced 50% over four years. I will work to pass an ordinance that limits budgetary inflation to a 3% year-over-year increase, or a twelve month Consumer Price Index average, whichever is less.
• …INSTITUTE A PROPERTY TAX CAP: Homeowners and businesses simply won’t stay if they can leave to the collar counties for cheaper property taxes. I will see that the county reduces the annual property tax levy to $600 million over four years, resulting in lower business and residential property taxes.