SCHAUMBURG, Ill. —October 21, 2020— Cook County Commissioner Kevin B. Morrison will host a live Virtual Town Hall discussing the Cook County 2021 Budget on Friday at 1:30 p.m. He will be joined by Cook County Budget Director Annette Guzman. The discussion will include an overview of the FY2021 Cook County Budget and how Cook County has presented a balanced budget despite a historic budget gap due to COVID-19. Commissioner Morrison and Director Guzman will also discuss the meaningful investments made toward equity and racial justice at Cook County in light of a national reckoning this summer. The town hall will be live streamed on Commissioner Morrison's Facebook page.

"COVID-19 has devastated our local communities economically. I'm grateful for President Preckwinkle's leadership in closing a historic budget gap due to the pandemic and not raising taxes on our constituents during this difficult time. We have a lot of hard work ahead of us to recover as a county from COVID-19, but this budget allows us to continue to offer vital services to our residents. I'm especially proud of the $80 million of new investments in an equity fund that will help fund community-based programs and services to bring greater racial equity to Cook County," said Commissioner Morrison.

Budget Director Annette Guzman adds, 'At a time of immense pressure on budgets at all levels of governments due to decreased revenues resulting from COVID-19, the County has worked hard to put forward a budget that doesn't increase taxes, addresses the pandemic fallout, preserves essential services while also making millions of dollars in new economic development and criminal justice reform investments.'

The Budget Virtual Town Hall is free and open to the public. Residents are encouraged to submit questions beforehand to Website Link Here or District15@cookcountyil.gov . For more information, contact ( 847 ) 519-7674 or email District15@CookCountyIL.gov .

The Budget Virtual Town Hall will take place Friday, Oct. 23, 2020 at 1:30 p.m. on Facebook Live, Website Link Here .

About Cook County Commissioner Kevin B. Morrison:

Cook County Commissioner Kevin B. Morrison represents the 15th District which includes the Townships of Barrington, Elk Grove, Hanover and Schaumburg, as well as parts of Palatine and Wheeling Townships. A native of Elk Grove Village with a background in public service, Commissioner Morrison serves as Vice Chair of the Human Relations and Tax Delinquency committees and his core issues include improving access to mental health services and providing development opportunities and support for small businesses. For information, please contact the Commissioner's office by calling ( 312 ) 603-6388 or visiting commissionerkevinbmorrison.org/ .