It took his losing an election, and plenty of negative press, but the Cook County Board has finally taken steps to limit lame-duck board president Todd Stroger’s power.
The board voted (16-1) Tuesday to impose a 72-hour notification period on all county hiring decisions, raises or other spending. Stroger supported the measure, according to a spokesperson for the Cook County Deaprtment of Public Affairs.
Stroger did not support a measure to freeze all hiring countywide, which passed 16-1.
The new restrictive measures come after the city’s inspector general launched an investigation into rumors that Stroger handed his campaign manager a job on the county dime – and paying her PR firm from county coffers, the Daily Herald reports.
The measures also come as reports surface of Stroger's curious use of a county credit card.
"It is unfortunate we have to address this and micromanage," said Chicago Democratic Commissioner John Daley, chairman of the finance committee.
Stroger, for his part, doesn’t think it will stick.
“There probably will be a legal challenge in the end. I have more holes than Swiss cheese,” he said, referring to his status as a political target, according to the Chicago Tribune.
What will this mean for the incoming Cook County Board President.
"It creates transparency," said Evanston Democratic Commissioner Larry Suffredin.
