Several Democratic candidates for DuPage County Board gathered outside the county administration building in Wheaton Tuesday morning to call attention to what they say is bad financial management by board members.

The candidates said the all-Republican board needed the recent sales tax increase that took effect April 1 because it failed to plan ahead while spending $75 million it received from the DuPage Water Commission from 2003 to 2007.

Last fall, the county considered laying off about 200 employees because of rising expenses and declining revenues, county officials said.

The board placed a referendum measure on the February primary ballot asking voters to approve a quarter-cent increase in the county sales tax to prevent the cuts. But in January, the Illinois General Assembly approved a bill to fund mass transit in the Chicago area.

Included in the bill was a quarter-cent sales increase for the collar counties to fund public-safety operations and transportation projects. County officials said this increase made the referendum unnecessary and encouraged residents to vote against it.

“The recent county sales tax referendum, state (Regional Transportation Authority) act sales tax proposal, county property tax increase and decrease have left me wondering if I have been the victim of some kind of bait-and-switch scheme,” said Karol Sole of Westmont, a Democrat running in the 3rd District. “Did the county really plan to cut 100 jobs from the sheriff’s office and 20 percent of the probation officers, or was it sensationalizing so as to pass the county sales tax increase?”

The Democrats called for reducing pay and benefits for County Board members and decreasing the size of the board. They also expressed opposition to home rule status for the county, which would give the board authority to raise taxes and fees without approval of voters or the General Assembly.

“We already have large federal and state governments,” said Bob Brandt of Woodridge, who also is running in the 3rd District. “We cannot afford a similarly large county government.”

After more ballots were cast for Democrats than Republicans in the February primary, the Democrats hope they can end the GOP’s complete control of the County Board.

Wheaton resident Dan Bailey, who is running in the 4th District, said it is time to “end the one-party, complete monopoly on all ... DuPage County (elective) offices.”

“Elect some Democrats,” he said. “We will do a better job for less.”

County Board Chairman Robert Schillerstrom said the county’s high rating by national bond rating agencies shows that the Democrats’ charges of financial irresponsibility are not true.

“We’re the only county in the state of Illinois that the entire County Board is Republican,” Schillerstrom said. “There are only a few counties that have a AAA bond rating, and we’re one of them.”

Schillerstrom said the Democrats are trying to “create an issue because they can’t find a legitimate issue.”

“We’re one of the most fiscally conservative counties in the country,” he said. “We’ll put our record up against any county in the country.”