County Board member Mary FitzGerald Ozog joined Board members Liz Chaplin and Paula Deacon Garcia and State Rep. Terra Costa Howard at the Wake Up Your Spirit Day breakfast hosted by DuPagePads to help find solutions to help end homelessness in DuPage County.
 COVID Vaccines, Boosters Available
The best way to protect yourself against COVID-19 is by getting vaccinated. County Board member Lynn LaPlante received her COVID-19 booster shot on Dec. 2 and is encouraging all residents to get vaccinated!
Vaccines are available for children ages 5 to 11 at several public health locations. Initial vaccination series for ages 12 and up are available at the DuPage County Health Department's Central Office in Wheaton on Thursdays from 8:30 to 10:30 a.m.
Booster shots are recommended for everyone over the age of 18. Residents can receive the booster shot either six months after their initial Pfizer or Moderna series or two months after their initial Johnson & Johnson vaccine. Booster shots for ages are available at the Central Office in Wheaton on Thursdays from 8:30 to 10:30 a.m.
To register for a vaccination or booster appointment, please visit dupagecountyhealth.qualtrics.com. To find other vaccination locations near you or to learn more about the County’s vaccination efforts, please visit dupagehealth.org/667/COVID-19-Vaccine.
Judicial and Public Safety Committee members, including Grant Eckhoff, congratulated former DuPage County Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Management Director Murray Snow (fourth from right) for his service to the County on Nov. 16. Snow left the County to pursue an opportunity in the private sector.
 Board Members Attend Veterans Build with Sen. Duckworth
Board members Lynn LaPlante, Sheila Rutledge, and Pete DiCianni attended a Veterans Build event at a Habitat for Humanity of Illinois site on Nov. 11 in Winfield where Sen. Tammy Duckworth was a featured speaker.
DuPage County and the Illinois Housing Development Authority (IHDA) relaunched an emergency rental assistance program on Dec. 6 for residents who are behind on their rent due to COVID-19.
Eligible DuPage County households may qualify for up to $25,000 in emergency rental assistance for payments from June 2020 through April 2022. Applications and additional details are available at illinoishousinghelp.org. Residents can also call (866) 454-3571 for more information.
County Board member Mary FitzGerald Ozog on Nov. 8 visited the Nordic Wastewater Facility, which the County is currently rehabilitating. The project was last updated 1985 and provides service for 600 homes in unincorporated Itasca.
The DuPage County Board voted unanimously Dec. 14 to adopt its Long Range Transportation Plan guiding transportation investments through 2040.
The Long Range Transportation Plan, known as DuPage Connects, will govern transportation policies and practices at the County for the next 20 years. The $1.6 billion plan creates a vision and mission for the DuPage County Division of Transportation, serving as a guide for infrastructure maintenance, operations, and capital projects.
During the development of DuPage Connects, County staff received more than 700 comments on system safety, congestion, signal coordination, bicycle, and pedestrian facilities and transit needs in DuPage. Those comments are incorporated into the final plan which can be found on the Division of Transportation’s Planning webpage at dupageco.org/transplan.
DuPage County Approves FY2022 Budget
The DuPage County Board on Nov. 23 unanimously approved its Fiscal Year 2022 budget, which includes a balanced, $474.3 million spending plan.
The budget includes funds to implement new election equipment for the County Clerk and to continue implementation of the County’s new property tax system, improve critical infrastructure on the County campus, and replace vehicles that have reached the end of their useful life.
DuPage County will fully fund the remaining principal and interest on two debt service funds in the amount of $6.3 million. Paying off this debt early will free up $2 million annually beginning in 2022.
The County budget also increases support for public safety, providing 21 new positions in the Sheriff’s Office, Public Defender’s Office, and State’s Attorney’s Office. The budget provides funds for specialized vehicles for the Sheriff’s Office, including an armored vehicle and a command center, and license plate readers to assist in identifying stolen vehicles throughout the County.
The County will continue to combat COVID-19 and invest in public health and vaccination efforts using funds from the American Rescue Plan Act, which was passed by Congress in March.
To view the full 2022 County budget document, visit dupageco.org/finance.
County Board member Mary FitzGerald Ozog attended the American Legion Post #3/Daughters of the American Revolution Observance of Veterans Day on Nov. 11 at the Glen Ellyn Boathouse with her son, Navy Veteran/Reservist Jimmy Ozog, along with American Legion Commander Mike Formento, Village President Mark Senak, Police Chief Phil Norton, and State Rep. Terra Costa Howard.
The DuPage County Board voted Oct. 26 to approve new County Board district boundaries for the next decade.
The County Board is required by state law to complete the reapportionment process every 10 years following the U.S. Census to ensure each County Board district represents a substantially equal number of people. The population deviation between each County Board district is less than 1 percent. By law, the districts must be substantially equal in population, contiguous, and as compact as practical.
The County’s Redistricting Committee was established in January 2021 and held 11 meetings and four open house forums to discuss the maps. In addition to an online portal, allowing for residents to provide feedback.
To view the new maps, please visit dupageco.org/CountyBoard/District_Map/2517.
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