The coming year could be very bleak for DuPage County government unless voters approve a quarter-cent sales tax increase on the Feb. 5 primary ballot.
The County Board approved massive budget cuts and layoffs in November, but also decided not to make any cuts or lay off any employees until voters weigh in on the tax increase.
County officials estimate the increase in sales tax could generate as much as $40 million each year. That new revenue stream would be enough to prevent the board from having to fire 190 employees and eliminate dozens of unfilled positions.
Without a new revenue source, the county will reduce spending by about $52 million. The sheriff’s office alone will lose about 100 employees.
Unless officials can convince voters that the increase is needed, there will be less deputies on the streets and more crowded courtrooms at the county courthouse. Probation officers will have larger case loads and less time to spend monitoring criminals sentenced to court supervision. The county Historical Museum could close.
If officials want to avoid these scenarios, they need to hit the pavement after the holidays and state their case to voters.
1. Attract more business, residents downtown:
Issue Bartlett is looking to ring in the new year with the redevelopment of the downtown. Next year construction is slated to be finished at Bartlett Town Center, a downtown residential and commercial development.
Why it’s important As the village population grows, so should downtown activity. After the downtown established a tax increment finance district, the goal has been to create a vibrant town center in the past few years. Keeping Bartlett dollars in Bartlett is necessary for the fiscal stability of the village. Encouraging a thriving downtown where residents can do business and spend their free time is essential.
What’s been done so far The new Bartlett train station recently opened, and a coffee vendor is expected to move in shortly to serve upscale beverages. Mark Duris, the president of a Roselle-based catering company, will be serving commuters coffee, pastries and juices as soon as the end of December or beginning of January.
“We want to develop a high-quality product, but not pay the ridiculous prices Starbucks charge,” Duris said.
Businesses like La Dolce Vita restaurant and martini bar, Wine Bin and Bartlett Tie Affair Day Spa & Salon have been a part of the downtown landscape and continue to thrive.
What needs to happen Originally slated to be completed the same time as the Metra train station, Bartlett Town Center is now slightly behind schedule. After construction is completed, the village needs to fill retail or restaurant spaces, as well as residential condominium and loft units.
2. Do more with less funds in Streamwood
Issue Despite a tough economy, the village of Streamwood is tightening the belt while still trying to provide a consistent level of service to the residents in a cost effective manner, said Gary O’Rouke, Streamwood’s village manager.
“It’s been difficult maintaining services with declining revenues,” he said.
Why it’s important Streamwood residents are accustomed to a high standard of service, including benefits like the Drug Abuse Resistance Education program. O’Rouke said one program that village officials would especially like to continue is the road improvement plan, which works to repave village street and sewers.
“It does have an impact on the quality of life,” he said. “We’ve found if we maintain streets, residents maintain their houses, which benefits the whole community.”
What’s been done so far The Village Board recently voted to hire three more firefighters and two more police officers next year. To do so, trustees expressed no interest in making budget cuts, but were exploring options — which included a 2 percent food and beverage tax and charging residents for ambulance service — for an additional revenue source. In the end, they voted to charge an impound fee of $250 and $500 to be paid to recover impounded vehicles.
What needs to happen Although no significant areas have been sliced from the 2008 budget, village officials should start discussing ways to trim in case the economy doesn’t swing upward in time for 2009. Cutting excess fat should be a year-round enterprise.
O’Rouke said the 2008 budget, which was finalized this month, has a solid foundation.
“If there are other changes in the economy, we will reconsider other sources of revenue,” he said.
3. Improve D20 minority students’ test scores
Issue In Keeneyville School District 20 in Hanover Park, a test score gap exists between white and black students.
Why it’s important State test scores indicated black students were the lowest scoring minority group in the district, which casts the district, which otherwise performed well, in an unfavorable light.
What’s been done so far After starting the “Dare to Dream” program — a program that reaches out to minority students at a young age, motivating them to go to college — minority test scores have risen in the district.
Superintendent Carol Auer attributes the test scores to the success of the new program.
“Scores have gone up in the district, but most progress was from African American students,” she said.
What needs to happen The district needs to follow through with the minority students involved in the “Dare to Dream” program. So far, the district is on the right track. When the students reach high school, the College of DuPage and district plan to organize a career fair and financial aid seminar where parents will be invited to learn more about available jobs in the community and alternative payment plans for college.
4. Find an honest, competent U-46 superintendent
Issue Elgin Area School District U-46 needs to hire a new superintendent after the former superintendent, Connie Neale, took sick leave and officially turned in her resignation earlier this year.
Why it’s important The district needs to hire a leader to build the trust of the community. Earlier this year, the School Board was criticized when it awarded Neale a pay package that exceeded $400,000, including salary and benefits.
Many teachers protested against the superintendent’s pay raise, after they voted down a three-year contract between the union and School Board in October. After teachers threatened to strike, a federal mediator was called in to help form an agreement between union and district officials.
What’s been done so far Interim Superintendent Mary Jayne Broncato is filling in while the district conducts the search. The district has selected a firm to spearhead the district’s search for a new superintendent. Proact Search Inc., based in Milwaukee, was selected by School Board members this month.
“They develop a profile, and go out and find a person that matches that description,” said Ken Kaczynski, board president.
What needs to happen The district needs to develop a profile for the new superintendent based on public input, like Proact suggested. The district also needs to ensure the candidate selected will be forthright with his or her intentions and demands in terms of salary and time off. Taxpayers and teachers both feel swindled by the former superintendent and the administration as a whole. Public trust needs to be reestablished.
5. Pass sales tax referendum
ISSUE: Ever-increasing expenses and stagnant revenues have brought the DuPage County Board to the point where it must cut services and jobs or find a new source of revenue. With hope all but gone that the Illinois General Assembly will approve a $1-per-pack cigarette for the county, officials now turn to voters to approve a sales tax increase.
WHY IT’S IMPORTANT: The board voted 12-6 to approve a $375.9 million budget Nov. 27, which will reduce county spending by about $52 million and lay off 190 employees, most of them in law enforcement and judicial departments.
At the same time, the board voted not to make any cuts until after voters go to the polls Feb. 5 to cast ballots on a proposed quarter-cent sales tax increase. If the increase is approved, the board will re-examine the budget and probably won’t have to layoff any employees.
State’s Attorney Joe Birkett has been an outspoken critic of the cuts and has pledged his support for the referendum.
“We firmly believe that the public safety sales tax is a fair and less burdensome revenue source than any other possible solution,” Birkett said at a rally last month in support of the tax increase. “We do know this: cutting jobs and services in public safety for the citizens of DuPage County is not the answer.”
WHAT’S BEEN DONE SO FAR: Aside from a few news conferences, there has been little public push for the sales tax increase.
Birkett, Sheriff John Zaruba and County Board Chairman Robert Schillerstrom have all pledged support, as has the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees, which represents the county’s probation and Youth Home detention officers. But so far there has been little action.
After the holidays, the campaign should launch full steam.
WHAT NEEDS TO HAPPEN: The officials whose offices will be affected by the cuts and the County Board members who don’t want to make them need to convince voters the increase is necessary. They will have to do so without using any county money or doing any campaigning on county time. If they can make a strong case, voters might approve the increase. But voter turnout is often low for primaries, and tax referendums are typically difficult to pass.
6. Seek home rule status
ISSUE: While DuPage County’s population is the second largest in Illinois and exceeds that of states like Wyoming, the county lacks certain taxing authorities held by places like Cook County and the city of Chicago. If DuPage were given home rule, it could institute a cigarette tax or increase sales tax without having to go to the Illinois General Assembly or voters.
WHY IT’S IMPORTANT: The County Board pinned its budget hopes to the cigarette tax, which was held up in the political quagmire that unfolded in Springfield during this year’s legislative session.
Schillerstrom has made it a personal goal to pursue home rule.
“I’m going to be looking forward to pushing the home rule issue in the future,” he said. “We need to be in a position to control our own destiny. ... We’re bigger than seven states; it’s ridiculous that we’re not home rule.”
WHAT’S BEEN DONE SO FAR: There has been talk of seeking home-rule status for the county for several years, but the process has yet to move forward.
WHAT NEEDS TO BE DONE: There are three ways the county can gain home rule: through the Legislature, through a ballot measure or through the courts. County leaders need to decide which option is best and get the ball rolling either through lobbying, campaigning for a referendum or litigation.
7. Streamline county operations
ISSUE: With its budgetary future uncertain, the County Board should take a serious look at recommendations to streamline county operations, which could save money without costing as many front-line jobs.
WHY IT’S IMPORTANT: When hundreds of jobs are at stake, it’s important to make sure the county operates as efficiently as possible. The non-partisan Civic Federation has made several recommendations to make the county more efficient, including consolidation of the county government and the Health Department, privatization of the DuPage County Convalescent Center and consolidation or elimination of some elected offices.
WHAT’S BEEN DONE SO FAR: The board created a cost-efficiency subcommittee in the spring to study the issues and Schillerstrom has proposed a panel to consider the future of the Convalescent Center.
WHAT NEEDS TO BE DONE: The work of these groups needs to continue, and they need to take a long, hard look at the Civic Federation’s recommendations.
8. Award jail food contract
ISSUE: After three bidding processes and a series of legal disputes, the county will start the new year without a long-term contract to feed prisoners at the DuPage County Jail.
WHY IT’S IMPORTANT: By awarding a year-long contract, the county will save some money and not have to continue discussing this issue, which has already dragged on too long.
WHAT’S BEEN DONE SO FAR: The board has awarded a series of temporary contracts to A’viands, despite the objections of Aramark, which fed prisoners for about two decades before its contract expired in the spring. The long-term contract could have been awarded to A’viands this month, but the board referred the issue to its Judicial and Public Safety Committee for more discussion.
WHAT NEEDS TO BE DONE: This matter should be settled as soon as possible in the new year. The temporary contract with A’viands was extended through the end of February, and a long-term deal should be signed by then.
