County Committee Shoots Down Proposed Rule For Budget Hearings
CHICAGO (CBS) -- Cook County Commissioners shot down a proposal some members of the County Board say was a move toward transparency in the budget process.
As WBBM Newsradio Political Editor Craig Dellimore reports, the ordinance would have required the heads of all county departments to make sure they had their financial officials available at budget hearings this week to answer residents' questions.
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But Finance Committee Chairman John Daley (D-11th) said the budget belongs to County Board President Toni Preckwinkle, not the heads of the departments.
"Her budget director, her chief financial officer, the bureau chiefs are at those hearings if called upon. In the past, they have not been called upon because the purpose is to hear from the public only," Commissioner Daley said.
Commissioner Earlean Collins (D-1st) who sponsored the bill, was disappointed at its failure.
"All of you folk who believe, and pretend that you believe in transparency – every time I put something out here, you try to kill it," Collins said, "and I'm sick of it."
But the Rules Committee voted resoundingly against the measure.
