In October 2023, Cook County released the first Digital Equity Action Plan, a crucial step to address the digital divide that impacts communities in suburban Cook County, which results in barriers to economic opportunities, social connections, and community wellbeing. The plan identifies Cook County’s path to digital equity through accessibility, confidence, safety and security, and affordability.

The Bureau of Asset Management (the Bureau) comprises three departments responsible for constructing, developing, and maintaining Cook County’s approximately 200 unique properties, which total over 19 million square feet. The Bureau has also seen significant changes in its responsibilities, including a new Build Up Cook program and an expanding Capital Program.

Cook County property taxes provide over $16B annually for the City of Chicago, Cook County, and the many school districts, special districts, and municipalities. The current tax system is complex and difficult to navigate. In 2023, Civic Consulting Alliance supported the creation of the Cook County Property Tax Reform Group (PTAX) to ensure that the property assessment and tax system produces predictable, accurate, fair, and equitable results in a timely and efficient manner.

CTA, Metra, and Pace are heading toward a fiscal cliff as emergency federal assistance is expiring and ridership remains below pre-pandemic levels. Without action, a $730 million (20%) budget shortfall is projected for 2026. This will lead to service cuts of 30 to 40 percent and a vicious cycle of lower ridership and fare revenue, which, in turn, would require further budget cuts.

An influx of capital and recovery funding provides an opportunity for municipalities to make infrastructure investments that will improve residents’ quality of life, reduce racial and ethnic disparities, and mitigate the effects of climate change.

An influx of capital and recovery funding provides an opportunity for municipalities to make critical investments in their infrastructures. However, small governments often lack the capacity and capital planning expertise needed to access or invest these funds. Since 2021, Civic Consulting Alliance and our pro bono partners supported Cook County to strategize and implement a new “Build Up Cook” program.

The resources made available via the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) are a once-in-a-generation opportunity to build a more equitable Chicago region by addressing challenges— including poverty, community disinvestment, and inequitable access to opportunity—that were exacerbated by the pandemic, and that must be rectified to build a better region.

Since March 2021, Civic Consulting Alliance and our partners have committed significant resources to support the City and the County in planning for effective investment of federal American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds to maximize their impact on the issues most critical to our region’s future. In recent months, our collaborative focus has transitioned to turning these plans into action.

For Cook County to thrive, all of its communities need to be economically strong. Yet suburban poverty has grown in recent years, both locally and nationally. With approximately half of the county’s population, suburban Cook County plays a critical role in Chicago’s regional economy.