Cook County voters made their desire for new leadership loud and clear Tuesday when they overwhelming elected a former history teacher as its new county board president.
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Cook County voters made their desire for new leadership loud and clear Tuesday when they overwhelming elected a former history teacher as its new county board president.
At Defender press time, Ald. Toni Preckwinkle (4th) had declared victory after capturing 68 percent of the vote (726,842) with 81 percent of the precincts reporting. She easily defeated Republican opponent Roger Keats, a former state senator, who received 27 percent and Green Party candidate Tom Tresser, who received 4 percent of the vote.
Preckwinkle is the first woman to be elected to the office.
Current board President Todd Stroger’s last day in office is Dec. 6.
Preckwinkle thanked supporters, who packed the Wolf Point Ballroom at the Holiday Inn hotel (Chicago Mart Plaza), and pledged a responsible and more efficient county government from now on.
“I believe it is a new day in Cook County. As your next county board president I promise to make things work better by cutting taxes and cleaning up patronage hiring,” Preckwinkle said during her victory speech. “We will deliver a county government that we can all be proud of.”
Citing a time for change, she sought the county board presidency as a progressive Democrat.
“Nearly two years ago when I started my campaign I was considered a long shot at best,” Precwinkle said. “After 18 years as a public servant, now is the time to make some changes.”
Her immediate priority is to “hire competent and qualified people who can help me improve county government,” she told the Defender. “First up will be a chief of staff, deputy chief of staff and chief financial officer.”
Preckwinkle said she would launch a transition website Wednesday for any Cook County resident interested in applying for a job. To apply residents can go to www.cookcountytransition.com.
She has already hired Kurt Summers as her transition boss. Summers previously worked as chief of staff for Chicago 2010, the city’s former official Olympic committee.
“We want to hear from as many people as possible because we are looking for the very best people to hire,” Summers told the Defender.
Preckwinkle plans to start at the top and work her way down to reform county government.
That could mean Jaye Williams, the county’s current chief financial officer, may be looking for new employment. She was hired by Stroger to replace his cousin, Donna Dunning, who resigned amid allegations of an improper relationship with a county employee.
Williams is married to Rufus Williams, former president of the Chicago Board of Education.
Preckwinkle said when leadership changes so does its support staff.
“I am sure they (Stroger’s staff) expect me to bring in my own team. It’s nothing personal,” she explained. “I will be seeking external candidates to fill some key slots. I am looking for people who want to help make a difference in the lives of others.”
Besides filling key positions Preckwinkle said other priorities she will focus on her first 100 days in office is the budget, which could include furlough days.
“I prefer shared sacrifices opposed to laying people off,” explained Preckwinkle. “Almost every alderman has taken furlough days this year along with city employees. It is not an unreasonable request to make when you consider the alternatives like layoffs.”
Ald. Ed Smith (28th) has also taken furlough days and told the Defender he will miss Preckwinkle’s leadership in the City Council.
“She is a real leader in our community and will be missed tremendously,” Smith said as he and other fellow aldermen celebrated Preckwinkle’s victory with her Tuesday. “She is a real asset to the Black community and a true friend.”
Rolling back the unpopular sales tax increase is also a goal Preckwinkle has set her sights on.
Stroger said by doing so it would mean the county could lose an estimated $200 million annually and result in closing Provident Hospital and county health clinics.
But Preckwinkle said she wants to improve health care and not cut back on it.
“I will streamline county government and look for new revenue sources,” she said. “Leasing county assets remains an option but we are not there yet.”
She said after the city leased several assets to raise much needed cash, such as the parking meters, it turned out not to be a good deal after all.
“The parking meter deal has not panned out well for the city. The money received is nearly gone and once it is gone the city is back to square one,” she said.
Preckwinkle was one of five aldermen who voted against the parking meter deal.
Mayor Richard M. Daley must now appoint a temporary replacement to fill her seat until voters elect a permanent alderman during the upcoming Feb. 22 election. Preckwinkle was elected in 1991 as alderman and favors state Rep. William Burns, D-26th Dist., as her replacement.
“He’s a good man with good values and that is needed to be an effective alderman,” she said.
The Hyde Park resident plans to remain living on the South Side with her husband while continuing her public service work.
Reflecting on her career as an alderman Preckwinkle said she is most proud of the improvements made at schools with her assistance and the redevelopment of public housing in her ward.
Copyright 2010 Chicago Defender
