Today, a broad coalition of County Commissioners presented an alternative budget for our Office that fully funds our mission, and restores all the jobs of assistant public defenders. This budget proposal rejects the 4-day work weeks, 10-day furloughs, salary reductions, and layoffs that were originally proposed by Todd Stroger. We are hopeful that when Commissioners finally vote on these proposals, the new alternative budget will carry the day.Alternative Budget Summary
At a press conference at the County Building today, the Commissioners stood with representatives of AFSCME and our Office, and announced this alternative budget, which will restore the jobs of front-line employees who provide real services to the citizens of Cook County.
We will soon be planning any further action that we think will be helpful in getting this alternative budget passed, and we will let you know of the plan. In the meantime, you should call your commissioners, thank them for all the hard work on the alternative Public Defender budget, and let them know that we support their efforts.
While the fight for our jobs and our Office is far from over, this alternative budget is great news.
