Chicago Area Local News

CBS 2's Joanie Lum, Kristyn Hartman and Derrick Blakley contributed to this report.
CHICAGO (CBS) ― Cook County Commissioner Tony Peraica launched a rare effort to oust Cook County Board President Todd Stroger Monday. But the Republican commissioner could not get a single other member of the Board to support his call for a vote of no-confidence in Stroger, who defeated Peraica in last November's election.

Peraica, who held a news conference before the meeting, said his proposal was meant to send a message that "enough is enough."

"This resolution puts President Todd Stroger on notice," Peraica said.

Peraica said he decided to take a stand against Stroger's administration, complaining that the board president has let the county down, and especially that he has hired his friends and family.

"I believe that he has failed miserably because he has run on a certain platform that advocated progressive government – reform government – and over the last six months he's done everything the opposite," Peraica said. "There's been a padding of the payroll, hiring of unnecessary people, firing of necessary frontline workers."

But Stroger anticipated the criticism and opened the meeting with a speech on his first six months in office.

"I stand ready and willing, as always, to look beyond partisan political concerns, and work with my colleagues to improve county government," Stroger said. "We need to continue to cooperate on issues of common concern to move this government forward." He also listed his administration's accomplishments.

When Peraica moved to have his resolution brought to the floor during Tuesday's board meeting, no commissioner seconded his motion, even Stroger's harshest critics.

"This was a political gimmick," Commissioner Forrest Claypool said. "It was nothing more than that. It's phony."

Peraica took issue specifically with the fact that Stroger had hired some friends and relatives for high-paying county positions.

"We had numerous hires of friends and relatives – political supporters. We had the attempted granting of a no-bid contract of a mobbed up janitorial company to clean this building after he fired 60 janitors that used to do that work, and on and on and on," Peraica said. "And I think the time has come now to reflect on the last six months and say, 'Are we happy?' And I think Todd Stroger deserves an F at this point."

Peraica also took issue with Stroger's handling of the county budget this year, saying he had stood with Stroger's pledge not to raise taxes. But he later complained that Stroger was instead cutting vital jobs in the county medical system and other departments.

Peraica acknowledged before the meeting that his resolution had little chance of succeeding.

"I think it has great symbolic importance in that we need to let President Todd Stroger and his administration team know this board is not going to be taken for granted, that we're not going to be treated as potted plants, that we are here to represent the Cook County taxpayers," Peraica said.

In an effort to get voters involved in the resolution, Peraica used a tactic usually reserved for political campaigns -- automated phone calls to voters. The "robo-calls" went out to voters represented by Democrats Mike Quigley (D-10th), Forrest Claypool (D-12th) and Larry Suffredin (D-13th).

Peraica has also produced a YouTube video, blasting Stroger for hiring friends and family on the county payroll.

He specifically points out county Chief Financial Officer Donna Dunnings, who is Stroger's cousin, and Sean Howard, who had worked for Stroger's campaign, but was arrested last year on allegations that he harassed a woman. The charges against Howard were later dropped, and last month he was hired as public affairs director for the county health system.

Prior to Tuesday's meeting, Suffredin said the resolution was nothing but a "sideshow."

"This sideshow, I think will do nothing to improve the quality of life, so I'm opposed to it. Are there problems with the way President Stroger is running things? Absolutely. He has to change his style if he wants to survive and have any chance of a second term," Suffredin added. "But there's no procedure in Illinois law for us to remove him, so I can't remove him. He's there for three and a half years. My goal is to make sure he doesn't do any more harm."

Critics contend the campaign-like tactics make Peraica look like a sore loser.

"Had we passed a no-confidence vote, it might make some commissioners feel good, and perhaps a few angry constituents feel good, but it would have accomplished nothing," Commissioner Mike Quigley said.

A Stroger spokesperson dismissed the no-confidence vote as a sideshow.

"It's a stunt designed to advance that particular political concern and again, we want to rise above that," Stroger spokesperson Ibis Antongiorgi said.

Peraica, who lost to Stroger in November's election, marched to the County Administration Building, at 69 W. Washington St., on Election Day last year alleging vote tampering in the results. Stroger ended up winning the election.

Stroger said that Peraica's actions Tuesday were similar to the election night theatrics.

"Commissioner Peraica thought that after he marched on the building that was the start of the election instead of the end of the election," Stroger said.

Nevertheless, some Democrats share Peraica's frustration. One told CBS 2 that he's never seen public confidence in the board, and its leader, so low.

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