Stroger announced a projected budget deficit of $186 Million for the next fiscal year.
The expected budget gap remains about what the county’s finance team estimated in February. Escalating payroll costs are the driving factor.
In addition, Medicaid funding is expected to decline as the federal government follows through on an expected reduction in revenue that will place further pressures on county finances.
Stroger’s two-page statement did not call for new taxes, but clearly laid the groundwork by spelling out the county’s numerous fiscal challenges, including union contract talks.
Medicaid is a national problem of course, but why would unions be willing to take cuts if the number of frontline workers is being significantly reduced while higher paying administrative jobs are increasing? I’d hate to try and sell that story to a bunch of tradespeople.