February 7, 2012

Mayor Emanuel and President Preckwinkle Announce $20.5 Million in Total Savings Achieved in First Six Months of City-County Collaboration

Leaders Attend Collaboration Summit; Highlight Key Areas of Cooperation as Savings Continue to Grow

Mayor's Press Office    312.744.3334

Mayor Rahm Emanuel and Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle met today with the members of the City-County Collaboration committee to receive the second quarterly update on their progress. The report shows that the two governments have secured more than $20 million in savings or additional revenue by working together in several key areas.

“President Preckwinkle and I are deeply committed to protecting every dollar of taxpayer money and ensuring the best government for the people of Chicago and Cook County,” said Mayor Emanuel. “This unprecedented collaboration has saved $20 million so far, and every day we are finding new opportunities to provide better services while saving money.”

The Joint Committee on City-County Collaboration (Joint Committee) was established in March 2011 to recommend ways the City and County could streamline services, improve residents’ interactions with government, and reduce costs. In June 2011, the Joint Committee issued a report describing 19 areas for collaboration and projected savings in the range of $66 million – $140 million by 2014.

In September 2011, the committee announced $11.3 million in annual savings and new revenue had been identified, and a twentieth area of collaboration was added: Anti-Violence and Community Stabilization Strategies. The second quarter of the collaboration has realized an additional $9.2 million in savings, bringing the total to $20.5 million.

“The success of the first year of this collaboration is deeply gratifying, and proves that, working together, we can find new ways to save taxpayers money and improve services,” President Preckwinkle said.  “The achievements so far are a testament to the cooperative spirit and innovative thinking of our administrations, and we look forward to continued progress.”

Key areas of advancement over the past few months include workforce development, in which the City and County are combining forces into a single regional workforce board to better match employers with job seekers across the region. Other major advances were made in the area of homeland security, where the two governments have improved communications and training, and in streamlining purchasing and tax collection.

The members of the joint city-county collaboration committee are:

  • Gloria Castillo, Chicago United
  • Alderman Pat Dowell, 3rd Ward, City of Chicago
  • Commissioner John Fritchey, 12th District, Cook County Board
  • Ralph G. Moore, Ralph G. Moore & Associates (RGMA)
  • Jorge Ramirez, Chicago Federation of Labor
  • Juan Salgado, Instituto del Progreso Latino
  • Paula Wolff, Metropolis Strategies

They are supported by more than 50 others representing the City, the County, and a host of companies from the area providing pro bono expertise through the Civic Consulting Alliance.

 

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See the February 2012 Joint Committee on City-County Collaboration report