Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle is proposing a $10 billion budget for next year without a deficit, layoffs or any new taxes, fees or fines.

But she warned of future instability for the county as the federal government threatens to cut health care funding and infrastructure grants.

“We’re in a good place at the moment, but there’s a lot of turbulence in front of us,” Preckwinkle told reporters Wednesday afternoon. “We’re headed into pretty tough waters here, turmoil. ... We’re going to be in a very difficult place as the federal government reduces its support for health care.”

Each year, health care makes up roughly half of the county’s budget. For 2026, Preckwinkle projects $5.2 billion will go toward health care, the most of which goes toward Cook County’s Medicaid insuran

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