CHICAGO | In an effort to move along the stalled Cook County budget process, John Daley, finance committee chairman, told fellow commissioners Tuesday to find ways to slash budgets by 13 percent.

The commissioners will work in groups of three or four to reduce the budgets of the president's office, the Bureau of Health and the state's attorney's office. The Juvenile Temporary Detention Center, treasurer's office and Department of Corrections will be exempt from the cuts either because they have made voluntary budget reductions or because of court-ordered staffing requirements.

President Todd Stroger remains one vote short of passing his budget, which calls for a 2 percentage point sales tax increase. Stroger's spokeswoman Ibis Antongiorgi said some county departments simply cannot afford additional budget cuts.

"We need new revenue -- that's still our position," Antongiorgi said.

Commissioner Joan Patricia Murphy, D-Crestwood, who supports Stroger's budget, made another plea to her colleagues to vote for the sales tax in order to fund county government at a level she says is necessary.

"If you're not strong enough to go out and tell your constituents that, then I don't think you belong here," she said.

Commissioner Jerry Butler, also a Stroger ally, reminded the Democratic commissioners that it would only take one more vote for them to pass the president's budget, and he urged those who oppose the sales tax to change their positions.

"This is about bringing down the president of this board -- it's not about that budget," he said.

Mayor Richard Daley set a deadline of Jan. 31 for commissioners to identify 13 percent departmental budget cuts. He said he wants to pass the budget by the second week in February.