DuPage County District 6 Newsletter for Winter 2021

Winter 2021 newsletter for DuPage County Board District 6

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dupage county news
Thanksgiving meals for needy families

Donation Supports Local Food Drive

County Board member Jim Zay donated 550 bags of stuffing to a food drive hosted by the DuPage County Sheriff's Office, SCARCE, Meals on Wheels, and Electri-Flex CEO Jason Kinander, who donated 800 turkeys. The food drive provided Thanksgiving meals to needy residents.


COVID Vaccines, Boosters Available

The best way to protect yourself against COVID-19 is by getting 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.


Schwarze discusses government with high school students

Students Learn About Local Government

County Board member Greg Schwarze spoke to students in a political science class at Glenbard North High School on Nov. 3 to discuss the duties of an elected County Board member, as well as the importance of young people voting.


DuPage County Relaunching Rental Assistance Program

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.


America Recycles Day

DuPage County Recognizes America Recycles Day

Chairman Dan Cronin and Environmental Committee Chairwoman Sheila Rutledge presented a proclamation recognizing Nov. 15 as America Recycles Day to Karen Rozmus, Chairwoman of Keep Illinois Beautiful. Learn more about the County’s recycling efforts at dupageco.org/recycling.


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.


Partners for Our Communities Center opens

Partners for Our Communities Center Opens

County Board member Jim Zay attended the opening of the Partners for Our Communities (POC) Center in Hanover Park. POC will offer case management and service coordination for immigrants and refugees in DuPage County. Zay was joined by Hanover Park Mayor Rodney Craig, County Board member Greg Hart, State Rep. Fred Crespo, and Hanover Park Trustee Yasmeen Bankole.



DuPage County Board Approves New District Maps

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. Jim Zay, Chairman of the Redistricting Committee, said the committee set a goal to keep villages and cities in the same district to the extent possible.

“From the beginning, our goal has been to create a fair map that keeps communities intact,” said Zay. “I’m proud of the County Board for putting politics aside to create a fair, transparent, bipartisan map.”

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.


DuPage County Adopts Long Range Transportation Plan

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.

MEET DISTRICT 6

Meet District 6