 DuPage County Wins Two National Awards
On Aug. 11, Chairman Dan Cronin and Board members Don Puchalski, Ashley Selmon, Sam Tornatore and the entire DuPage County Board presented two awards it received from the National Association of Counties for partnerships that create innovative government programs. April Redzic, President and CEO of DuPage Pads, and Vickie Tabbert, Pads Board Chairwoman, joined Community Services staff in an award for creating an interim housing center for residents experiencing homelessness in DuPage. Sheriff Jim Mendrick and Michael Beary, Executive Director of JUST of DuPage, received an award for the Sheriff’s tattoo removal program designed to reduce recidivism among gang members who serve time in the County Jail. Congratulations to the awarded programs and thank you for the services you provide to the community!
County Board members Sam Tornatore and Greg Schwarze joined Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi and local elected officials for a press conference on July 25 regarding the proposed merger of the Canadian Pacific and Kansas City Southern railroads. County staff have also testified before the Surface Transportation Board in Washington, D.C., regarding negative side effects that could occur because of the merger of the railroads. DuPage County and several municipalities have formed the Coalition to Stop CPKC to prevent the merger. Learn more about local efforts to stop the merger at www.stopcpkc.com.
Chairman Dan Cronin, Judicial and Public Safety Committee Chairwoman Julie Renehan and Committee Vice Chairman Don Puchalski presented a proclamation to County Probation staff recognizing July 17-23 as Pretrial, Probation, and Parole Supervision Week.
 Cronin Discusses Regional Economic Development Efforts
Chairman Dan Cronin met with Chicagoland government and business leaders on July 13 to discuss regional economic development opportunities at the Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning.
DuPage County ARPA Update
Beginning in 2021, DuPage County received than $179 million in federal relief funding through the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) to assist with recovery efforts and expenses related to COVID-19. Here are some ways the DuPage County Board voted to spend some of that money in recent months:
$5 Million to Alleviate Food Insecurity
The DuPage County Board on Sept. 14 approved a $5 million allocation for food pantries to help the County’s neediest residents experiencing food insecurity.
Members of the Board received requests from local food pantries for funding, and at its Finance Committee meeting, they heard a presentation about the difficulties facing County food pantries, including a dramatic increase in the number of clients in need of food, increases in food costs, and a decrease in donations from food suppliers.
The Board agreed to provide:
• $1.75 million to Northern Illinois Food Bank to allow for the purchase of fresh produce, diapers, and personal hygiene and cleaning products for DuPage County food pantries.
• $1 million to Northern Illinois Food Bank’s 46 partner agencies in DuPage County. A cash assistance distribution will be created and approved by the County Board in October.
• $2.25 million for investments in distribution infrastructure, including refrigerated vehicles, distribution hub facilities, technology improvements, or future grant opportunities.
DuPage Community Transformation Partnership Fund Grants $1 Million to Nonprofits
On June 21, the DuPage Community Transformation Partnership (DCTP) Fund awarded more than $1 million in Immediate Intervention grants to 16 social service not-for-profit organizations serving DuPage County residents in the areas of food insecurity, housing instability, mental health and substance use disorder.
The partnership funded $280,000 in food insecurity grants, $268,700 in housing instability grants, and $553,535 in mental health and substance use disorder grants. Click here to view a full breakdown of funds and descriptions of projects.
The DCTP Fund was established earlier this year after DuPage County and DuPage Foundation solidified a strategic grantmaking partnership to support social service not-for-profit organizations helping DuPage County residents most severely impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. The purpose of DCTP Immediate Intervention grants is to provide financial resources to enable organizations to respond to the immediate needs of their clients and/or to quickly increase capacity of the organization to deliver efficient services.
For more information, please visit dupagefoundation.org/DCTP.
DuPage County Provides $2.8 Million to Hotel, Business Tourism Industry
DuPage County voted July 12 to provide $2.8 million to the DuPage Convention and Visitors Bureau (DVCB) to provide support to local hotels that have been negatively impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.
The County Board will provide $2 million for a hotel relief program, $750,000 for a joint business attraction and marketing program through DCVB and Choose DuPage, and $50,000 for a seven-county regional tourism program. All funds are provided through the federal American Relief Plan Act.
The hotel relief program that will be administered by the DCVB and will provide grants on a per-room basis to assist DuPage County hotels recover lost business during the pandemic. The marketing program will be conducted in partnership with Choose DuPage to attract business tourism and travel in DuPage County. The regional tourism program will be led by the DCVB and regional tourism partners throughout the Collar Counties with facilitation by the Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning.
For more information, please contact the DuPage Convention and Visitors Bureau at (630) 575-8070 or visit www.discoverdupage.com.
DuPage County Board Vice Chairwoman Ashley Selmon, Board members Liz Chaplin and Paula Deacon Garcia, Sheriff Jim Mendrick, and County staff attended UCP Seguin of Greater Chicago’s Big Event on June 23 in Woodridge, where UCP Seguin presented the County with the President’s Award for its significant support of the acquisition and renovation of group homes and community day services centers.
Chairman Cronin Proposes 12th Balanced Budget
For the 12th consecutive year, DuPage County Board Chairman Dan Cronin presented a balanced budget for the County Board’s consideration at its Sept. 27 meeting. The Fiscal Year 2023 budget proposal does not include a property tax increase for homeowners.
The total proposed budget for DuPage County is $586 million, with a General Fund of $239.6 million. The General Fund is the County’s chief operating fund, covering most personnel and program operations. The proposed budget includes a $70 million property tax levy, which captures new construction in the county being added to the property tax rolls. The DuPage County property tax rate remains flat, and the average DuPage County homeowner will not see an increase in their property tax bill.
Due to conservative financial planning, DuPage County is projected to finish the 2022 Fiscal Year with a surplus of $40 million. Cronin laid out a plan to utilize those funds to eliminate future budgetary burdens, including:
- $3 million for major renovations at the DuPage Care Center
- $2 million for transportation infrastructure, including roadway improvement and enhanced pedestrian and bicycle path
- $6 million to replace the County’s existing financial system which will soon reach end of life
- $3.25 million to replace aging vehicles
- $250,000 for the DuPage Neighborhood Revitalization Program
Cronin’s budget also includes 12 additional headcount for the State’s Attorney’s Office and funding for the Public Defender, Sheriff’s Office, and 18th Judicial Circuit Court to handle added responsibilities after the passage of the SAFE-T criminal justice reform law in 2021. The FY2023 headcount is increasing by a net of 10 positions after reductions in staffing levels by the County Recorder and Circuit Court Clerk.
Members of the public can provide feedback on the proposed budget plan at www.dupageco.org/ProposedPlanFeedback.
The DuPage County Board will now consider the Chairman’s proposed budget and will approve the County budget at its Nov. 22 meeting. The 2023 Fiscal Year begins on Dec. 1.
DuPage County Community Services, as administrator of the Home Energy Assistance Program in DuPage County, is providing funds to assist income-eligible households with their natural gas, propane and electric bills and furnace assistance. Applications will be taken on a first-come, first-served basis through May 31, 2023.
The Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) provides one-time benefits to income eligible homeowners and renters to help with energy bills and for reconnection of energy service. Propane customers are encouraged to apply when the program opens in September to take greater advantage of lower propane prices. Propane prices typically increase during the winter months so by applying early propane customers will see their LIHEAP benefit go further.
Households must be at or below 200% of the federal poverty level to receive a benefit from the LIHEAP Program. The 30-day income guidelines for LIHEAP are based on Federal Poverty Guidelines and are available at www.dupagecounty.gov/LIHEAP.
Applications will be taken at 421 N. County Farm Road in Wheaton, at all nine township offices throughout the County, at Loaves & Fishes Community Services and at West Suburban Community Pantry. Phone appointments are also available.
Please call DuPage County at (630) 407-6500, (800) 942-9412 (toll-free) or visit www.dupagecounty.gov/LIHEAP for outreach locations and schedules, and for information on what documents are needed to apply and different ways to submit your application.
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