Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle speaks during a virtual preliminary budget hearing on July 11, 2023. [Office of the President livestream]

The mood was mostly warm and grateful during a virtualy and livestreamed public hearing Tuesday night on the preliminary Cook County budget forecast for 2024, but advocates still asked the county to keep their organizations in mind when crafting the annual spending plan. 

Cook County is anticipating an $85.6 million budget gap for the upcoming Fiscal Year 2024 budget, Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle and county officials said last month.