Cook County commissioners on Thursday signed off on a roughly $10.1 billion spending plan for 2026 that keeps taxes and fees exactly where they are. The deal leans on reserves and one-time fixes to plug budget holes while county leaders work to shield hospitals, social services and public-safety programs from looming federal funding shifts that could hit health-care dollars in the coming years.
Board Signs Off On The Final Plan
The Cook County Board of Commissioners voted 17-0 to approve a $10.12 billion FY2026 budget after a month of hearings and amendments, according to Cook County. County officials say the package cleared the board with a set of technical tweaks and modest staffing increases that preserve core services without resorting to new taxes.
How The County Closed The Books
To patch projected shortfalls, the plan pulls $383.9 million from the county’s unassigned fund balance and creates a $65 million federal grant risk-mitigation reserve, according to WTTW. That same reporting notes the budget closes a $102.6 million gap in the general fund and a $108.8 million hole in the health fund, with most of the anticipated federal funding reductions not expected to hit the county’s bottom line until 2027.
Where The Money Goes
Amendments approved with the final package steer roughly $20 million in property-tax revenue - the county’s share of a city surplus earmarked to fight blight - into homelessness prevention, rental assistance and emergency food programs, per Cook County. The plan also bankrolls targeted staffing increases: the public defender’s immigration unit will add seven positions and the state’s attorney’s office will add 12, as reported by the Chicago Sun-Times. Roughly half of the entire budget remains dedicated to Cook County Health and its network of hospitals and clinics.
Political Context And What’s Next
Board President Toni Preckwinkle has pitched the spending plan as “the county’s response to sweeping cuts and ongoing chaos at the federal level,” rolling it out 43 days before the final vote, WTTW reports. County officials say they started 2025 with about $958.4 million in uncommitted funds and expect about $575.2 million to be left after drawing down reserves for this budget, leaving a cushion even after the one-time maneuvers. Preckwinkle, who is seeking a fifth term, and commissioners say they will be watching federal grant decisions closely as they plan for 2027 and beyond.
Bottom Line
For residents, the upshot is stability in the near term: services stay in place, new dollars are aimed at homelessness, legal representation and health care, and the county gives itself some breathing room in case Washington turns off the tap. Officials stress that this budget leans on one-time money to buy time rather than gloss over structural problems, and they acknowledge that what future budgets look like will hinge heavily on how federal funding ultimately shakes out.
