Thank you for visiting the website for information about the sales tax referendum on the
February 5, 2008 ballot in DuPage County.
www.StaySafeDuPage.info
X
Shall DuPage County be authorized to impose a
public safety tax at the rate of $0.0025 upon all
persons engaged in the business of selling tangible
personal property at retail in the county on gross
receipts from the sales made in the course of their
business?
YES  _________

NO   _________
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There were dozens of recommendations presented to the County Board by the Board's own Cost Efficiency Committee and also by the independent, non-partisan Civic Federation.  These recommendations would have consolidated departments, reduced the number of elected officials, reduced salaries and perks, improved operational efficiency, and generally reformed and modernized county government, saving millions of dollars in the process.

But these reports were essentially ignored by the current County Board.  Instead, they chose to pursue a sales tax increase. 

- Cost Efficiency Report
- FY2007 Budget Analysis and Recommendations -The Civic Federation
- FY2008 Budget Analysis and Recommendations - The Civic Federation
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Articles / Press Releases

05-28-08 - PRESS RELEASE - response to salary freeze, stipend elimination

05-16-08 - "Democrats criticize County Board's financial planning"

05-13-08 - PRESS RELEASE - "The New Sales Tax In DuPage County"

04-21-08 - "Suburbs, schools spend millions on lobbying state officials" - Brandt comment:  DuPage County spent $115,830 of our tax dollars lobbying Springfield for more tax dollars to spend.

04-09-08 - "County Board approves $7.5 million budget amendment"

04-02-08 - "The DuPage County sales tax increase"

04-01-08 - "Three dollars is still better than nothing - well, sort of."

03-29-08 - "County Board lowers property taxes" - Brandt comment:  The County Board gets $47 million with their sales tax increase, they "might" return $1M in property taxes.  Who got the better of that deal?

03-28-08 - "County Board weighs funding requests, property tax cut" - Brandt comment:  We cannot afford this "tax and spend" philosophy of government. Voters need to remind DuPage County Board Members that we are not Cook County, nor do we want to be.

03-27-08 - "All want piece of new DuPage money" - Brandt comment:  I saw this coming a mile away.

03-25-08 - "DuPage Sheriff wants $1.8 million to cover overtime, deputy pay hikes"

02-13-08 - "Schillerstrom has ideas for new sales tax money" - Brandt comment:  Doesn't this sound like "tax and spend?" 

02-13-08 - "County to divvy up $20 million" - Brandt comment:  100 of the 220 public safety jobs have been emptied through attrition and won't be filled.  Does that mean we only have half of a public safety crisis?  Or did we not really have a crisis in the first place?

02-09-08 - "Necessary follow-up to sales tax hike" - Brandt comment:  Don't count on incumbent Board Member Michael McMahon to agree to salary reduction.  "I'm not embarrassed by the pay rate because of the response to constituent needs," McMahon said.

01-24-08 - "DuPage County Republicans - bait and switch, then tax and spend"

01-23-08 - "County discovers surplus" - Brandt comment:  It turns out, the county only needed $10 million to save those law enforcement jobs, but they get $47 million from the sales tax increase.  Anyone else feel duped?

01-23-08 - "DuPage Republicans backtrack on tax increase"

01-22-08 - "DuPage Republicans work hard to raise taxes"

01-22-08 - "County officials urge "no" vote on sales tax referendum" - Brandt comment - A "no" vote.  Hmmm, that's what I've been saying all along, except without the sales tax increase."

01-21-08 - "Free money for collar counties courtesy of DuPage Republicans"

01-20-08 - "Transit funding bill negates DuPage County referendum"

01-18-08 - "Transit bill saves DuPage County government jobs"

01-18-08 - "Transit, county finally get funding"

01-17-08 - "A third rail on transit" - "Today, I turn to the root of the problem:  DuPage County's rapacious (greedy) county officials.  You know, the ones who never have enough money and - in the worst way - do not want to have to ask their constituents for permission to raise their taxes."
(Cal Skinner)

01-17-08 - "The Schillerstrom Amendment" - See the three little words that Schillerstrom snuck into HB0656 (the transit bill) in order to go behind our backs and raise our taxes. 

01-17-08 - "State lawmakers approve transit funding plan"

01-15-08 - "Area legislators say sales tax bypasses voters" - "I've really found it offensive to go around the referendum, to go around the voter..."

01-13-08 - "Sweet and sour taste to transit deal" - "If DuPage gets sales tax revenue from a deal in Springfield, it could render moot a referendum on the Feb. 5 ballot that asks voters to approve an increase in the county sales tax. But whenever government gets a new infusion of cash, you wonder if it will be spent on things the public truly needs and not on what government officials want for themselves." 

01-11-08 - "Bailout could render referendum moot"

01-11-08 - "DuPage funding woes may be near end"

01-11-08 - "Transit bill could halt tax hike"

01-11-08 - "Officials rally for tax referendum"

01-10-08 - BLOG ENTRY - "Latest transit plan - new Schillerstrom end-around"

01-10-08 - BLOG ENTRY - "Schillerstrom tries an end-around on the sales tax increase"

01-06-08 - "DuPage tax supporters ready for month-long blitz" - comment by Robert "Bob" Brandt:  I agree with those who say "county officials are using scare tactics to pass the increase and the money could be found in other county departments to save public safety jobs."  How many "yes" votes would county officials get if they said "Vote for the sales tax increase so we can continue our wasteful spending on bloated government and keep our generous salaries and benefits?"

12-24-07 - "Republicans have mismanaged budget"

12-20-07 - "Cut county budget before raising taxes"

12-12-07 - "Democratic candidates blast County Board over budget problems" - photo

12-12-07 - "DuPage Democrats cry foul on tax hike" - comment by Robert "Bob" Brandt:  Schillerstrom says the "sales tax increase is a long-term solution."  My long-term solution is to consolidate departments, reduce the number of elected officials, reduce salaries and perks, and reform and modernize county government.
- my response to Schillerstrom and Healy comments

12-11-07 - PRESS RELEASE - "We need new leadership on the County Board"

12-08-07 - "Use technology to track tax dollar use"

12-07-07 - "Cut pay and perks to balance budget"

12-07-07 - "Long lines a ploy to get more tax dollars"

12-05-07 - "Board's next task:  Convince the voters" - comment by Robert "Bob" Brandt:  It is estimated to cost $250,000 to $750,000 of taxpayer money to "educate" voters on the referendum.  Board Member Michael McMahon "doesn't have a problem" with that.  

12-05-07 - "DuPage Board has doomed all of us"

12-04-07 - "No telling what voters will do with referendum"

12-02-07 - "Ready to get out the word - DuPage officials pushing tax hike"

11-29-07 - "Budget cuts on hold until February" - comment by Robert "Bob" Brandt:  Schillerstrom says he will "refocus his energies on gaining home-rule authority for DuPage."  The worst kept secret in DuPage County.

11-29-07 - "No leader yet for DuPage tax push"

11-28-07 - LETTER TO THE EDITOR - "Return Board Member salaries back to 1997 levels"

11-28-07 - "200 job cuts depend on DuPage County sales tax vote"

11-28-07 - "Doomsday DuPage budget ok'd"

11-28-07 - "County Board delays doomsday budget effects"

11-28-07 - Official DuPage County Press Release - "County passes cut budget"

11-27-07 - DuPage County FY2008 Budget Analysis and Recommendations - The Civic Federation

11-19-07 - "Politicians need to feel taxpayer pain"

11-17-07 - "Work to avoid another budget crisis" - "...we would hope the easing of this county budget crisis is accompanied by government reforms that could help keep costs under control over the long term."

11-17-07 - "Budget crisis could have been avoided"

11-17-07 - "DuPage County to huddle on budget again"

11-17-07 - "DuPage Board to scrutinize budget"

11-16-07 - "DuPage County sales tax up to voters"

11-16-07 - "Board to pursue sales tax"

11-14-07 - "DuPage employees rally for a tax hike"

11-13-07 - "DuPage is heading toward county vehicle stickers"

11-12-07 - "County Board weighs two tax options"  - comment by Robert "Bob" Brandt:  Where was the discussion on cutting Board Member salaries and benefits?

11-11-07 - LETTER TO THE EDITOR - DuPage County budget disaster

11-11-07 - "County Board mulls two revenue sources"

11-10-07 - "DuPage County board gets serious on revenue" - comment by Robert "Bob" Brandt::  The Board discussed increasing revenue with a $50 vehicle sticker or a quarter cent increase in the sales tax.  They did not have a substantive discussion on the Cost Efficiency Report, which would have cut their $48,620 salaries. 

11-09-07 - "County Board weighs cuts, revenue options"

11-07-07 - "Budget battle looms as decision nears"

11-07-07 - "No answer to county budget questions"

11-06-07 - "No good reason for such high taxes"

11-04-07 - "Law enforcement needs funding boost"

10-31-07 - Fiscal year 2008 budget remarks by Chairman Schillerstrom - comment by Robert "Bob" Brandt:  Schillerstrom blames Springfield for DuPage's problems.  Blame others for your problems - is that good leadership? 

10-30-07 - Budget cuts will lead to "increased homicides...increased stalkings and batteries..."

10-30-07 - "Time to find solutions to budget woes"

10-30-07 - "Officials continue opposition to proposed budget cuts"

10-30-07 - "We can't afford the government we want"

10-28-07 - ** Cost Efficiency Committee - Final Report **

10-27-07 - "Ease budget crisis by cutting pensions"

10-25-07 - "DuPage County plan would hit poor hardest, leaders say"

10-24-07 - "County Board mulls quarter-cent sales tax increase"

10-24-07 - "More law enforcement officials decry proposed county budget"

10-24-07 - "DuPage workers criticize layoffs"

10-24-07 - "Outcry over DuPage budget cuts gets louder"

10-22-07 - "Treasurer latest to blast DuPage cuts"

10-20-07 - "I will not vote for this budget"

10-19-07 - "Should Schillerstrom be more like Stroger?"

10-18-07 - "County officials must share budget pain" - comment by Robert "Bob" Brandt:  If County Board Members are going to ask residents to sacrifice, how about some sacrifice themselves?

10-17-07 - "Law enforcement officials:  Budget unacceptable"

10-17-07 - "DuPage budget debacle - what others are saying - what about long-term planning?" Brandt comment:  The most shocking quote is "in the 20 years Schillerstrom has been with the county, DuPage has not had a strategic plan."

10-17-07 - "Public safety bears brunt of DuPage 200 job cuts"

10-17-07 - "Proposed county budget cuts hundreds of jobs"

10-17-07 - "Budget to hit DuPage hard"

10-16-07 - "County Board chairman calls for major budget cuts" - comment by Robert "Bob" Brandt:  And does Schillerstrom take responsibility for this happening on his watch?  No.  He blames Springfield for not giving him more money to spend.

10-16-07 - "DuPage law enforcement heads call for tax increase"

10-16-07 - "County budget will eliminate 200 positions"

10-16-07 - "DuPage County lays out doomsday budget cuts"

10-16-07 - "Schillerstrom proposes cut budget" - official press release

09-28-07 - "DuPage County revenue not expected to rise until 2013"

09-28-07 - "DuPage Board still holding out for cigarette tax to save budget"

09-25-07 - "New fee could fund stormwater programs, infrastructure"

09-19-07 - "County revenues not expected to rise until 2013"

09-19-07 - "$21.7 million shortfall..."

09-17-07 - "They've (the County Board) got to get their priorities straight...public safety is being
compromised." - Joseph Birkett, DuPage County State's Attorney

09-01-07 - "DuPage predicts major shortages in 2008 budget"

07-22-07 - "DuPage County braces for more cuts"

07-08-07 - "DuPage County weighing options to raise revenue"

11-20-06 - DuPage County FY2007 Budget Analysis and Recommendations - The Civic Federation - "Reform and rationalization necessary to avoid continual tax increases"

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Paid for by the Robert Brandt Campaign Committee

"Because the current DuPage County Board decided to throw money at their budget problem by raising taxes, and did not attempt to change the fundamental structure of county government which would lead to leaner, more sustainable, county government for the future, we need new leadership on the DuPage County Board."

- Robert "Bob" Brandt
  Candidate for DuPage County Board 3
  www.BobForDuPage.org
"Because the General Assembly in Springfield passed the transit plan, the sales tax in DuPage County will increase by a half percent, making the sales tax referendum moot.  I'm extremely disappointed that County Board Chairman Schillerstrom didn't trust the residents of DuPage to make the right decision on the referendum and went behind our backs so state legislators would take the heat for raising taxes.  

- Robert "Bob" Brandt
  Candidate for DuPage County Board 3
  www.BobForDuPage.org
Effective April 1, 2008 - the sales tax in DuPage County will increase by 0.50% (0.25% courtesy of the Transit "bailout" and 0.25% courtesy of Bob Schillerstrom and "public safety") = $47 million a year.
- click here for more information