cook county travel policy

• Travel and Business Expenses Policy and Procedures
• Budget and Management Services

Cook County has a fiduciary responsibility to ensure County resources are used responsibly and that individuals do not incur inappropriate or excessive expenses, or gain financially from the County. As such, all persons who travel on behalf of the County are fiscally responsible and accountable for all County expenditures.

The purpose of the County’s travel and business expense policy and procedures is to provide guidelines for payment of authorized travel expenses in an efficient, cost effective manner and to enable County travelers to successfully execute their local and non-local travel requirements at the lowest reasonable costs, resulting in the best value for the County.

This policy and procedure falls under the Office of the Chief Financial Officer.

Frequently Asked Questions

Below are answers to frequently asked questions regarding the sales tax exemption process. Please email  [email protected]  with any questions not answered below.

Before making purchases on behalf of the County, County employees should always notify vendors of the County’s tax-exempt status.

When a tax-exempt certificate is required by vendors, County employees should request the County’s tax-exempt certificate from the Office of the Chief Procurement Officer.

For a County tax-exempt certificate, please send the request in writing to [email protected] and include:

• Your name, title, and contact information
• Vendor name, address, and contact information (including the email address of the vendor representative who will be verifying the County’s tax-exempt status)
• A description of the goods and/or services being purchased.
• The pre-tax price of the goods and/or services being purchased.

If County employees need proof of the County’s tax-exempt status, they may request the County’s tax-exempt certificate in advance of expenditures from the Office of the Chief Procurement Officer. Purchasing goods or services from vendors who will not accept the County’s tax-exempt status is prohibited absent exigent circumstances.

The County’s tax-exempt certificate is to be used exclusively to make purchases on behalf of Cook County by County employees and is not for personal use by individuals. Any purchases must be related to Cook County Official business and paid for through Cook County funds.

Misuse of the County’s tax exemption to evade taxes, for which you are personally liable, is strictly prohibited and may result in discipline up to and including termination, as well as substantial penalties under state law.

Procurement will send the tax-exempt certificate directly to the vendor. Once the tax-exempt certificate has been sent to the vendor, Procurement will respond to your email to confirm.

Cook County’s tax-exempt status may apply to out of state purchases. Please contact the Office of the Chief Procurement Officer if you have questions regarding the applicability of the County’s tax-exempt status to an out-of-state purchase.

Quick Links

Related links.

• Transportation Expense Voucher System - (TEVS)
• Employee and Official Business & Travel Expense Policy 2.12.24.pdf (340.41 KB)
• Transportation Expense Voucher (TEV) (41.4 KB)
• Expense Pre-Authorization Form 2.12.24 (800.38 KB)
• Reimbursement Form 2.12.24 (850.49 KB)
• Affidavit for Lost Receipt (152.25 KB)

• Current Budget Information
• Budget and Management Services

FY2024 Adopted Budget

(Click the links below to view the related budget document in PDF format)

Volume I - Budget Overview FY24 Annual Appropriation

Volume II - Department Line Item Budget FY24 Annual Appropriation

Volume III - Classification and Compensation Schedule FY24 Annual Appropriation

FY2024 Proposed Budget Amendments

As part of the budget process, the County Board considers the budget carefully and may submit amendments. Click here to view  Amendments to the Tentative Appropriation Ordinance . Per meeting rules, changes to the proposed amendments are listed as substitutions below:

Amendment 21-S1

FY2024 Executive Budget Recommendation

Click the links below to view the related budget document in PDF format. Adopted and Executive Recommendation budget documents from prior fiscal years are available in the County Budget Archives .

Volume I - Budget Overview FY24 Executive Budget Recommendation

Volume II - Department Line Item Budget FY24 Executive Budget Recommendation

Volume III - Classification and Compensation Schedule FY24 Executive Budget Recommendation

FY2024 Preliminary Forecast Report

The preliminary forecast report presents a mid-year projection of year-end revenues and expenses for Fiscal Year 2023 and an initial forecast for Fiscal Year 2024 revenues for the General Fund and Health Enterprise Fund, the County’s two major operating funds. 

Related News

Cook county board of commissioners unanimously approves balanced $9.26 billion fy2024 budget.

Today, the Cook County Board of Commissioners approved a balanced $9.26 billion FY2024 budget which includes millions in funding for equity programs and pandemic relief without increasing taxes or cutting vital services.

Quick Links

• About the Budget Process
• Budget Archives
• Budget Calendar
• Department Budget Hearings
• Submit Budget Questions
• Travel and Business Expenses Policy and Procedures

Related Links

• Cook County Open Data: Budget Data
• Interactive Budget Website
• American Rescue Plan Act Information
• Independent Revenue Forecasting Commission
• Annual Comprehensive Financial Reports
• Volume I - Budget Overview FY24 Annual Appropriation (18.15 MB)
• Volume II - Department Line Item Budget FY24 Annual Appropriation (6.18 MB)
• Volume III - Classification and Compensation Schedule FY24 Annual Appropriation (3.05 MB)
• FY24 Tentative Amendments to Appropriation Ordinance (1.53 MB)
• Amendment 21-S1 (211.16 KB)
• FY2024 Budget-At-A-Glance (55.18 KB)
• FY2024 Transportation Cost Allocation Analysis (1.37 MB)
• FY2023 Transportation Cost Allocation Analysis (1.19 MB)
• Volume I - Budget Overview FY24 Executive Budget Recommendation (21.82 MB)
• Volume II - Department Line Item Budget FY24 Executive Budget Recommendation (6.02 MB)
• Volume III - Classification and Compensation Schedule FY24 Executive Budget Recommendation (2.42 MB)
• FY2024 Cook County Preliminary Forecast (2.59 MB)

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• Updated travel guidance from Cook County

March 17, 2021

Topic: Community

Recently, CCSD21 families received information from their building principal regarding travel guidance from the Cook County Department of Public Health (CCDPH). Updates from the initial guidance are highlighted below in red. Please keep this guidance in mind as spring break approaches:

• Any adult (18 years or older) traveling from a state on the Orange list  on this webpage  is directed to obtain a negative COVID-19 test result (Rapid or PCR) no more than 72 hours prior to arrival in suburban Cook County. If unable to meet the testing requirements while out of state, they can be tested after they arrive home and quarantine until they receive a negative test result.
• Any  individual  traveling internationally should be tested (Rapid or PCR) 3-5 days after they arrive home and continue to quarantine for a full 7 days after their return.  Even if you test negative, stay home and self-quarantine for the full 7 days.
• Children under the age of 18 are exempt from the guidance if they have traveled  domestically  with adults who receive a negative COVID-19 test (Rapid or PCR).
• Adults who choose to be tested related to travel in place of a student must be the same adults who left, traveled, and returned home with the student. They must be tested according to the specific travel circumstances outlined above.
• All test results must be turned into the school nurse prior to returning to school.
• Anyone who does not turn in a test results to their school nurse will need to quarantine for 10 days upon their return home.
• Those that are fully vaccinated and have not had symptoms are exempt from the  domestic  travel quarantine and testing requirements outlined above. Fully vaccinated is defined as being at least two weeks after the second dose of a two-dose COVID-19 vaccine or at least two weeks after receipt of one dose of a single-dose COVID vaccine.
• Any student who has tested positive for COVID in the past 90 days is exempt from this guidance as long as they have completed the 10 day isolation period, have a documented positive test, and remain asymptomatic during their travel.

If domestic travel to an  orange state  is unavoidable:

• If the adult(s) traveling to an orange state with the child are fully vaccinated prior to travel, the child needs to be tested OR quarantine for 10 days.
• If the adult(s) traveling to an orange state with the child are NOT fully vaccinated, the adult can be tested OR the child can be tested OR quarantine for 10 days.

We are asking our District families to please make testing arrangements in advance to assure that test results can be turned into the school nurse prior to your child’s return to school. Students who have traveled and do not submit negative test results to the school nurse on the timeline outlined above will be required to quarantine instead.

Additionally, it is important that those traveling:

• Monitor symptoms for 14 days after returning from travel.
• Practice social distancing, mask-wearing, and hand hygiene.

Our District continues to follow state and local safety guidance to keep our schools and community safe. We are deeply grateful for the sustained efforts and cooperation in addressing this public health challenge.

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Illinois, Chicago, and Cook County have issued new guidance and restrictions as COVID-19 cases continue to rise around the country.

Governor J.B. Pritzker has announced an update the state reopening plan. The City of Chicago has updated its quarantine order for travelers from high-incidence states and announced the reinstatement of certain restrictions on businesses. Suburban Cook County has issued travel guidance mirroring Chicago’s quarantine order.

State Updates

The Governor announced an  update to the Restore Illinois reopening plan  on July 15. The plan divides the state into 11 health regions and provides a tiered mitigation approach if cases of COVID-19 in the state continue to rise.

The City of Chicago and suburban Cook County are now in separate regions. The North Suburban region includes Lake and McHenry County. The West Suburban region includes DuPage and Kane County. The South Suburban region includes Kankakee and Will County. The rest of the state is divided into the North, North-Central, West-Central, Metro East, Southern, and East-Central regions.

The state will consider implementing mitigation actions outlined in the reopening plan if a region experiences:

Three consecutive days averaging greater than or equal to an eight-percent positivity rate; or

A sustained increase in positivity rate over a seven-day rolling average and either:

(a) A sustained seven-day increase in hospital admissions for COVID-19-like illness; or

(b) A reduction in hospital capacity threatening surge capabilities (ICU capacity or medical/surgical beds under 20 percent).

It is unclear how the mitigation procedures will be implemented or if additional mitigation actions will be considered.

The mitigation options (Tier 1 is the least restrictive; Tier 3 is the most restrictive) are listed by industry or activity, including:

Bars and restaurants

Meetings, social events, and religious gatherings

Organized group recreational activities, gyms, and fitness centers

Salons and personal care

In Tier 1, offices may be required to institute remote work for high-risk individuals and continue to emphasize telework for as many workers as possible. Meetings, social events, and religious gatherings may have additional limits imposed. Bars and restaurants may need to reduce indoor dining capacity.

In Tier 2, offices may be required to reduce capacity, with recommendations to resume remote work. Retailers may have to suspend in-person non-essential retail and make online and curbside pick-up available. Bars and restaurants may need to suspend indoor dining and bar service.

In Tier 3, offices may be required to institute remote work for all non-essential workers. All non-essential retail may be suspended. Bars and restaurants may suspend in-person dining.

Chicago Quarantine Order, Restrictions on Businesses

The Chicago Department of Public Health has issued an  Emergency Travel Order   requiring travelers entering or returning to Chicago from states with an average COVID-19 case rate greater than 15 new cases per 100,000 residents to quarantine for 14 days or the duration of their stay in Chicago, whichever is shorter. The order applies only to individuals who have spent more than 24 hours in a designated state.

During the quarantine period, individuals must not be in public or otherwise leave their selected dwelling, unless to seek medical care or COVID-19 testing. If seeking medical care or testing, or when traveling to or from the airport, train station, or bus station upon arrival or departure, individuals subject to the order must wear a face covering and must not use public transportation.

The  FAQs  associated with the order state that “essential workers” are not subject to the mandatory self-quarantine if they are:

A non-resident of Chicago, are traveling from a designated state to Chicago for the primary purpose of carrying out their primary work in Chicago, and need to be physically present in Chicago to carry out that primary work; or

A resident of Chicago, are returning from a designated state, were in the designated state for the primary purpose of carrying out their primary work in that state, and needed to be physically present in that state to carry out that primary work.

“Essential worker” is a person who works in  critical infrastructure, as designated by the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency . The definition also includes any state, local, and federal officials and employees traveling in their official capacities on government business, including military service. However, an essential worker whose travel was for non-work purposes is subject to the mandatory self-quarantine and is not covered by this exception.

Other exceptions to the order for personal travel also will be permitted for travel related to medical care or parental shared custody arrangements. Additionally, the Commissioner of Health may grant an exemption based upon an organization’s or business’s testing and other control policies, or in certain extraordinary circumstances, subject to terms and conditions imposed by the Commissioner in the interest of public health. The process for obtaining such an exemption is unclear.

The states originally covered by the order included:

Mississippi

North Carolina

South Carolina

Twelve days later, the list was updated to include Iowa and Oklahoma because increasing rates of COVID-19 cases in those states. Kansas was added on July 21.  The list will be updated  every Tuesday, with changes going into effect on the following Friday.

Additionally, the City of Chicago has announced reinstatement of certain restrictions in light of an uptick in COVID-19 cases in Chicago and surging COVID-19 activity in other states. The following restrictions will go into effect on July 24, at 12:01 a.m.:

Bars, taverns, breweries, and other establishments that serve alcohol for on-site consumption without a retail food license will no longer be able to serve customers indoors.

Restaurants that serve alcohol will be allowed to continue to operate as long as they abide by ongoing COVID-19 guidance and existing regulations.

Establishments that do not serve food may still provide outdoor service as they did during Phase Three of the City’s reopening plan.

Maximum party size and table occupancy at restaurants, bars, taverns, and breweries will be reduced to six people.

Indoor fitness class size will be reduced to a maximum of 10 people.

Personal services requiring the removal of face coverings, such as shaves and facials, will no longer be permitted.

Residential property managers will be asked to limit guest entry to five per unit to avoid indoor gatherings and parties.

Cook County Department of Public Health Travel Guidance

The Cook County Department of Public Health issued  travel guidance  directing travelers to suburban Cook County coming from 17 COVID-19 hotspots to quarantine for 14 days following their last contact with the identified state. The guidance excludes the City of Evanston and Village of Skokie.

Because the travel guidance for suburban Cook County defines high-incidence states in the same way as the Chicago Emergency Travel Order, the respective lists of designated states are the same.

While the suburban Cook County guidelines appear to mirror those implemented by the City of Chicago, the  FAQs  issued by the Cook County Department of Public Health state that, unlike the City of Chicago, suburban Cook County’s travel guidance is only a recommendation, not an order. The Cook County Department of Public Health will not be issuing fines or enforcing the guidance. The Department’s  dedicated webpage  provides additional information relating to this guidance.

Reopening orders contain extensive requirements creating compliance issues that can vary significantly depending on the specific state or local jurisdiction. 

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Cook County Updates Emergency Travel Guidance to Include 22 States

The quarantine requirement for the additional four states added this week begins friday, published july 28, 2020 • updated on july 28, 2020 at 5:41 pm.

The Cook County Department of Public Health's emergency travel guidance now directs travelers from 22 states to quarantine for 14 days.

The guidance mirrors Chicago's travel order , which also requires anyone visiting or returning to the city from one of 22 states to self-quarantine for two weeks.

Cook County, which includes several suburbs surrounding Chicago, will follow the same list of states as the one taking effect in the city Friday. The county's list, updated every Tuesday, included four more states this week: Wisconsin, North Dakota, Nebraska and Missouri.

• Mississippi
• South Carolina
• North Carolina
• North Dakota

“We have come a long way in Cook County and Illinois and we want to keep it that way,” Cook County Department of Public Health Co-Lead and Senior Medical Officer, Dr. Rachel Rubin, said in a statement when the guidance was first launched. “It is summer and we know people want to travel, but we have to remain vigilant to keep our gains and avoid having to close places we’ve only just reopened.”

Chicago first issued an emergency travel order for 15 states just before the Fourth of July holiday weekend. The order took effect on July 6. It was updated this week to also include Wisconsin, North Dakota, Nebraska and Missouri.

Chicago Department of Public Health Commissioner Dr. Allison Arwady said travelers entering or returning to Chicago from "states experiencing a surge in new COVID-19 cases" will need to quarantine "for a 14-day period from the time of last contact within the identified state."

The order is set to remain in effect until further notice and the list of states is slated to be evaluated every Tuesday.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, "travel increases your chances of getting and spreading COVID-19."

How Will Chicago Enforce New Quarantine Restriction for Travelers?

Chicago Travel Order: What You Need to Know

The move comes as states across the U.S. see surges of coronavirus cases, many shutting down bars and restaurants in an effort to quell or prevent a spike.

Illinois was one of three states added to New York, New Jersey and Connecticut's joint list of states requiring travelers to quarantine for 14 days upon arrival, New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo said Tuesday.

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Plan in Cook County

Plan your trip – download your minnesota vacation and travel guide.

There are so many things to see and do in Cook County, you’ll want to make the most of every minute. Let us be your Minnesota vacation and travel guide for planning the ultimate trip up north.

If you want to go big and experience Cook County’s attractions, start with our beautiful website. Choose your destinations and plan your adventure. Read our list of trip ideas for travel inspiration.

Know the dates you’ll be here? Plan your trip around the events that coincide with your visit. Summers are filled with arts and cultural events, races, concerts, festivals and more.

But don’t disregard the value of the spring, fall and winter seasons which have a less frenetic pace than summer. Each season holds a bit of magic in Cook County with unique activities for each. We think we have perfected the expert practice of hygge – the Danish concept of coziness, warmth and sharing time with friends.

Know where you want to stay? This will be your Cook County base camp. Choose a community or two! It’s a large and diverse county. Then unpack your gear and get out there.

For directions and driving distances, traveling with pets, visitor services, and other basics you’ll find it all on our web site.

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Federal broadband program helping more than 300,000 Cook County residents set to expire

The affordable connectivity program offered eligible households $30 per month toward their broadband internet bill, but with the program ending, some service providers are offering their own options..

A person works on a laptop. The federal Affordable Connectivity Program is expected to end in April, leaving millions of Americans without access to affordable home internet.

Elise Amendola/AP file

A federal pandemic-era program that helped millions of households pay less for internet service is expected to go away in the coming weeks, but some service providers are offering their own discounted programs.

From December 2021, more than 23 million households nationwide enrolled in broadband internet service through the federal $14.2 billion Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP). Under the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, qualifying lower-income participants have received up to $30 per month, or up to $75 on Tribal lands, to pay for broadband connection.

As the “largest internet affordability program in U.S. history,” it helped close the digital divide for “vulnerable seniors, veterans, school-aged children, and residents of rural and Tribal communities,” according to the Federal Communications Commission. An FCC survey, released February, found 68% of households had inconsistent or zero connectivity before the program, with 80% citing cost as the reason.

Hal Woods, chief of policy for the education nonprofit Kids First Chicago, said more than 350,000 households in Cook County enrolled in the Affordable Connectivity Program, which supports essential services like education and telehealth.

“ACP’s end threatens educational progress, job security and health care access for low-income families in Chicago and beyond,” Woods said.

Full funding for the program will end after Tuesday and subsequent partial funding will last only through May, the FCC said, unless Congress injects more funding. The White House has requested $6 billion from Congress to continue the program, and advocates are pushing to extend the ACP.

But continuing the program seems unlikely as it needs bipartisan support from Congress.

If the program ends, advocates “will keep fighting to bring back a new and improved broadband benefit,” said Angela Siefert, executive director of the National Digital Inclusion Alliance in Washington, D.C. “The long-term solution is to include a broadband benefit in the Universal Service Fund, which needs to be modernized, including expanding the industries that pay into it.”

From the 1990s, telecom providers have paid into the Universal Service Fund to provide services to schools, libraries and low-income and rural areas.

With time running out on the Affordable Connectivity Program, there are options for lower-income households to stay connected. Internet providers are offering a range of programs.

Here are some of them:

• Comcast: In April, Comcast launched a new brand called NOW , offering low-cost internet, mobile and wireless hotspots that consumers can buy month to month. It also launched streaming TV products, NOW TV, last year. NOW Internet offers two prepaid options offering unlimited data at $30 per month for speed of 100 Mbps or $45 per month for 200 Mbps. The mobile service is $25 per line while the wireless hotspot, called NOW WiFi Pass, is $20 for 30 days. NOW services are expected to be available in the Chicago area in the coming weeks, according to Comcast.
• Verizon: Verizon Forward offers home internet for as low as $20 per month to new and existing eligible lower-income customers. A limited-time offer gives an additional discount for new subscribers that brings down costs to zero for six months after a $99 set-up fee.
• AT&T: The company will continue its Access from AT&T service, which offers internet for $30 per month based on the maximum speed available at your address, up to 100 Mbps. In April, AT&T pledged an additional $3 billion by 2030 to help close the digital divide by helping to increase access to broadband and expand coverage to more rural areas.
• Life Wireless: Life Wireless will continue free and discounted wireless service for eligible low-income households. Life Wireless is supported by the federal Lifeline program, created in 1985 to advance universal phone access. In general, if residents are participating in government programs such as the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), Medicaid, supplemental security income (SSI) or veteran’s pension then they would be eligible for low-income telephone assistance.
• Spectrum: The company said on its website that customers who are enrolled in the Affordable Connectivity Program will receive a partial credit of $15, or $35 for Tribal lands, on their May bill statement. But starting in June, customers will no longer see the credit on their bill, but other promotional discounts applied to their monthly bill will remain until that promotion ends. Customers priced out of Spectrum’s programs were directed to check with the federal Lifeline program. It also encouraged consumers to take action, sharing a link to a pre-written statement they can virtually sign and submit to Congress.