Praising the County’s lean, efficient government, DuPage County Board Chairman Dan Cronin presented a Fiscal Year 2017 budget that reduces spending and holds the line on property taxes.
“For the second year in a row, we are called upon to create a spending plan without a fully-funded budget from Springfield,” said Cronin. “Amidst the partisan bickering and inaction in Springfield, I think it’s important to point out that here in DuPage, we continue to do the people’s work.”
In his budget address, Cronin outlined the numerous ways DuPage County has created government efficiency, cut costs and collaborated across units of government to pare down expenses. Chairman Cronin heralded this “change in the culture” of government. He said, “As a top-performing unit of local government, despite dysfunction at the state level, we must ensure the lights go on, the roads are paved and that our elderly and infirm residents receive the care they need.”
Cronin’s budget proposal reduces expenditures, while maintaining service levels. The proposed FY 2017 spending plan is $433.8 million, which is $10.6 million less than last year’s approved budget of $444.4 million. Since taking office in December 2010, Cronin has cut more than $43.9 million from the county’s budget.
Cronin said the property tax levy will remain flat at $66.9 million for the sixth year in a row under his administration. The FY 2017 proposal maintains a $100,000 allocation to fight heroin in DuPage County, including expanding the DuPage Health Department’s RxBox program. The proposed budget also allocates $50,000 to a new “Clean and Lien” program which aims to remove, repair, or demolish abandoned buildings on properties that have been foreclosed upon and clear the land for sale or development. Cronin said, “We’ll eliminate these community eyesores, clean up the local environment and immediately improve neighborhoods, benefitting local property owners.”
The budget also includes $53.5 million in capital projects for stormwater, drainage and road construction.
To view the full budget proposal, visit www.dupageco.org/finance.
