Issues
Fiscal Responsibility / Shared Sacrifice
While DuPage County is going through a $50 million budget crisis (fiscal year 2008) that officials say "will have a negative impact on public safety" and has prompted either an increase in the sales tax or a $50 vehicle sticker, County Board Members themselves are unwilling to share any of the sacrifice.
County Board Members pay themselves $50,079 a year (they eliminated the automatic pay raises for most members in May 2008). They can also receive a committee leadership bonus between $1,000 and $3,000 a year (eliminated in May 2008). They have made themselves eligible for a retirement plan that pays them 80% of their part-time salary for life after 20 years of service.
Keep in mind that County Board members are part-time legislators. They attend two meetings a month, plus some occasional committee meetings. There are 18 members for six Districts in the county.
As a DuPage County Board Member, I will work to implement the following:
1.
Cut Board Member salaries by 50%
Cut Board Member salaries by 50%2.Cut the County Board size from 18 to 12 members and change to twelve single
Cut the County Board size from 18 to 12 members and change to twelve single -member districts instead of six three-member districts
3.End the $3,000 and $1,000 committee leadership bonuses (eliminated by the County
End the $3,000 and $1,000 committee leadership bonuses (eliminated by the County Board on May 27, 2008)
4.End the retirement plan for Board Members
End the retirement plan for Board Members======================================================================
Fundamental Change
The independent, non-partisan Civic Federation issued an ominous warning back in 2006:
"(DuPage) County's outdated government structure hinders progress in overcoming...fiscal challenges" and "(w)ithout serious reform, the financial pressures will require continuous property tax increases for the foreseeable future." Sure enough, property taxes were increased the maximum amount allowed by the tax cap for the third year in a row.
DuPage County's government is antiquated, better suited for the 18th century than the 21st century. Its structure needs to be modernized in order to meet today's challenges. Unfortunately, the current County Board has done nothing to change the structure of county government, instead being content to throw money (i.e. tax increases) at the problem.
"Changes to the structure of the DuPage County government will not come without challenges, but continuing on the path of divided authority and inefficient government is no longer sustainable or fiscally responsible."
As a DuPage County Board Member, I will work to implement the following:
1.Consolidate DuPage County government with the County Health department to
Consolidate DuPage County government with the County Health department to streamline service delivery and bring greater efficiencies and accountability to the Health Department.2.Privatize the Convalescent Center, otherwise it the County will not be able to
Privatize the Convalescent Center, otherwise it the County will not be able to absorb the continual increases in the Convalescent Center's expenses.
3.Reduce the number of elected officials in County Government to avoid duplication
Reduce the number of elected officials in County Government to avoid duplication of functions and lack of coordination among departments and agencies, including: - abolish the elected office of Coroner and replace it with an appointed Office of the Medical Examiner. - change the elected office of Auditor and replace it with an independent Office ofAuditor General to conduct financial audits of all county programs. - merge the elected offices County Clerk and Recorder of Deeds, which is typicalin counties across the nation.======================================================================
No Home Rule!
"A home rule unit may exercise any power and perform any function pertaining to its government and affairs including, but not limited to, the power to regulate for the protection of the public health, safety, morals and welfare; to license; to tax; and to incur debt." (emphasis added)
Of the 102 counties in Illinois, only Cook County has home rule power. There was a referendum to bring home rule power to DuPage County in 1972 which was soundly defeated. But recently, the DuPage County Board has taken steps to get home rule power without a referendum. And home rule can only be repealed by public referendum.
Home rule power is an unlimited ability to increase taxes.
Home rule power is not a magic bag of free money. It is the ability to raise taxes without limitation.
For example, right now DuPage County can only increase property taxes by 5% or the rate of inflation, whichever is less (the "tax cap"). But with home rule power, DuPage County could raise property taxes by any amount without being limited to the tax cap.
Other taxes that DuPage County could raise without limitation are the sales tax, hotel/motel tax, gas tax, use tax, cigarette tax, etc. The County already receives almost a half-billion dollars in taxes, fees, etc. from taxpayers - home rule power would make it easier for them to take even more money from our pockets.
Home rule power is an unlimited ability to increase borrowing.
Non-home rule counties are prohibited from borrowing more than 5.75% of their assessed value, but home rule counties have no such limit. Even with existing $300 million in debt, DuPage County has the non-home rule authority to borrow up to $1.8 billion more if needed. Why does DuPage County need the ability to borrow more than $1.8 billion?
Home rule power will bring "pay to play" politics to DuPage County.
With home rule power, DuPage would no longer have to subject itself to competitive bidding. County business would no longer have to go to the lowest competent bidder but instead could be steered to politically connected vendors. Companies who want to do business with DuPage County would feel pressure to make campaign contributions in order to be considered for county contracts i.e. "pay to play." You can imagine that County Board Members are licking their lips at the prospect of more money for their re-election campaigns.
Home rule is a Pandora's Box that once opened, is virtually impossible to close. It must never be opened.
As a DuPage County Board Member, I will fight against any attempt to bring home rule power to DuPage County.
01-22-08 - PRESS RELEASE - "Home rule"
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Increase County Government Transparency
DuPage County taxpayers have a right and need to understand where their tax dollars are spent.
Taxpayers in Cook County can go to an online database (www.cookemployees.com)
and find out who is employed by the county, how much money they make; as well as what companies have county contracts. Unfortunately, this is not an official county website, but is maintained by current Cook County Board Commissioner Tony Peraica.
The federal government now maintains an official online database (www.usaspending.gov) which shows federal contracts, grants, loans, and other types of federal spending.
Illinois goes one step further and combines the database for state spending with campaign contributions (www.openbook.illinoiscomptroller.com). Illinois Comptroller Hynes states: "I believe that government should be an open book and that all public officials are accountable to the citizens they serve. As such, we all have an obligation to lead by example and to conduct business in an open and honest manner.”
These are not voyeuristic exercises. They are a way for the taxpayer to keep track of their tax dollars. After all, shouldn't employees and companies be hired based on what they know, rather than who they know?
However, in order to find out anything about personnel, salaries, contracts, etc. in DuPage County, taxpayers have to make a Freedom of Information Act request which consists of getting the right FOIA forms, filling them out, getting them to the right department, and then playing a cat-and-mouse game on whether you worded the FOIA request properly. The entire process seems to be designed to thwart transparency, rather than to enhance it.
If DuPage County has nothing to hide, then they should embrace the idea of making county government more transparent and more easily accessible to taxpayers.
As a DuPage County Board Member, I will work to create web-based database of all county personnel and vendors.
04-08-08 - "Let the sun shine in DuPage"
01-22-08 - PRESS RELEASE - "Transparency"
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Experience. Honest. Change.
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