Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle was sworn in for her second term of office on Monday by Chief Judge Timothy Evans. Preckwinkle was reelected to her position after running unopposed in the November 4 election. In a speech following the ceremony, Preckwinkle highlighted the successes of her first term and outlined an ambitious agenda for the second term.

“In the past four years, we have overwhelmingly passed five budgets, cutting over $465 million in expenditures. We have implemented the first County-wide performance management initiative, creating a culture of data-driven decision-making,” Preckwinkle said. “We have begun laying the foundation for a public health system that is responsible to both patients and taxpayers. And we are shaping a criminal justice system that is more efficient and more responsive to individual circumstances.”

“Cook County is vital to the economic prosperity of our region. In my next term, we will focus on becoming a leader in advocating, organizing, and partnering across the region to promote economic growth,” Preckwinkle continued. “I firmly believe that we can play a role in ending the cross-border competitive, zero-sum game that occurs between municipalities and between counties. In turn, we can begin to unify our region, drive job growth, mobilize support for key industry sectors, and create a brighter, more sustainable future for our children and grandchildren.” President Preckwinkle pledged to release her full strategic plan for the second term in January.