Cook County Board of Commissioners

The Cook County Board of Commissioners is a legislative body comprised of 17 commissioners who are elected by district, as well as a president who is chosen by the whole county, all of whom serve four-year terms. In terms of size, Cook County, which contains the city of Chicago, is the second-largest county in the United States, with a population of 5.2 million people. The county board is responsible for establishing policy and rules for the county in areas such as real estate, public health services, public safety, and the upkeep of county roads. It is governed by by a president, who is now Toni Preckwinkle, who serves as its leader.

The commissioners, president, and county clerk (who also acts as clerk of the board) occupy the same positions ex officio on the Cook County Forest Preserve District Board of Commissioners, which is a different governmental taxing entity from the Cook County Board of Commissioners.