Where's the money going?

Every year our Cook County government budgets and spends more than $4 billion. The County's budget impacts our lives every day. All of its funding comes from you—your sales and property taxes, your purchase fees on gas, and other goods. All of its spending exists to support you too. County funding drives the jail, public hospitals and clinics, the Cook County courts, and dozens of other civic institutions designed to make our region prosperous, efficient, and fair. Yet, too many residents don't understand what Cook County government is or what it does. They keep asking, "Where exactly does our money go?"

This budget transparency tool was created to answer that question, but it's only the first step. We need your help. What questions do you have about County spending? What do you want to know about the County budget that this visualization isn't explaining? What do you think of our spending? What can we do to make Cook County government better? Check out the FAQ for more information.

If you have technical questions or want your city or municipality to use this tool for their budget, feel free to contact Derek Eder or Nick Rougeux at Open City.