 DuPage County Officials Take Oath of Office
DuPage County hosted an inauguration ceremony on Dec. 5 for 23 elected officials who took office. DuPage County Board Chair Deborah Conroy (above) was sworn in as the first female Chair in the County’s history.
“On this historic evening, we take the first step toward a bipartisan partnership in governing as we work together to create significant, lasting change that impacts and lifts up our residents,” Conroy said. “I am energized by the challenges that lie ahead and I look forward to writing a new chapter in the history of DuPage County.”
 Newly elected Board member Lucy Chang Evans (above) will serve a two-year term.
 Newly elected Board member Kari Galassi (above) will serve a four-year term.
 Incumbent Board member Brian Krajewski (above), who has served on the Board since 2010, will serve a four-year term.
On Nov. 15, DuPage County launched 211 – a free, confidential information and referral service that will provide a central access point to local health and human services 24-hours a day, 365 days a year. |
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The 211 line will enable DuPage County residents to use an easy three-digit number to access help by phone – or via the new 211 web address, 211dupage.gov. Anyone will be able to obtain immediate referrals to mental health services, addiction support and rehabilitation, crisis counseling, supplemental food programs, shelter and affordable housing options, employment and education support, financial support, and more.
The expanded service hours are made possible by an intergovernmental agreement between DuPage County and the Village of Addison, whose dispatch center will handle the evening, overnight, weekend, and holiday calls.
Over the past two decades, DuPage County has compiled a database of roughly 640 service providers offering thousands of services for DuPage County residents. DuPage County joins a network that includes Will, Kane, McHenry, and Lake counties’ 211 helplines providing thousands of community resources.
The DuPage County Board allocated $1.6 million from federal funds distributed to the County from the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) to create County 211 service.
The DuPage County 211 database of services includes:
- Clothing/Personal/Household Items
- Disaster Services
- Education
- Food
- Health, Wellness and Dental
- Housing and Utility Assistance
- Income Supports and Employment
- Legal Aid and Public Safety
- Mental Health
- Older Adults/Disability Services
- Transportation
- Veterans
To learn more, call 2-1-1 or visit 211dupage.gov.
 WorkNet DuPage Provides “Skill Up DuPage” Across County
WorkNet DuPage, the County’s Workforce Development Division, is bringing its “Skill Up DuPage” initiative to locations throughout the community so that residents can connect with the tools they need to start or restart a great career.
The presentations deliver information on how eligible individuals can access federal training scholarships of up to $10,000, as well as numerous other free resources that workNet DuPage can provide for a successful job search.
Skill Up DuPage information sessions detail how residents can:
- TEAM UP with a personal career coach
- LEVEL UP careers with FREE career planning
- STEP UP earning potential with professional job search assistance
- SKILL UP with training up to $10,000 per eligible individual. Grants can cover the cost of career-oriented training such as IT and digital marketing certifications, truck driving licenses, advanced manufacturing or welding programs, College of DuPage certificates, and more.
Residents are invited to register for an upcoming Skill Up DuPage session at: worknetdupage.org/skillup.
The DuPage County Board unanimously approved its Fiscal Year 2023 budget on Nov. 22, which includes a balanced, $584.1 million spending plan and a reduction in property taxes for homeowners.
Due to conservative financial planning, DuPage County is projected to finish the 2022 Fiscal Year with a surplus of $40 million. Among the ways the County will utilize those funds include:
- $3 million for major renovations at the DuPage Care Center
- $2 million for transportation infrastructure, including roadway improvements and enhanced pedestrian and bicycle pathway
- $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
- $393,800 for solar panels to provide clean energy for part of the County campus
- $398,680 for a stormwater improvement project at Winfield Creek
The total proposed budget for DuPage County is $584.1 million, with a General Fund budget of $234.6 million. The General Fund is the County’s chief operating fund, covering most personnel and program operations.
The proposed budget includes a $69.9 million property tax levy and a property tax abatement of $5 million, which will be automatically deducted from homeowners’ property tax bills in 2023. Residents do not need to take any action to realize the savings.
DuPage County has launched a Transparency and Crime Statistics Portal, which will provide crime data from the DuPage County Sheriff’s Office.
The portal, which can be found at dupagesheriff-transparency-dupage.hub.arcgis.com, pulls records from the Police Records Management System and is currently only pulling data from the Sheriff’s Office. The data provides an overview of crime data in a particular area but does not give specific addresses or information about victims.
While the portal only has Sheriff’s Office data, the County will look at expanding the portal to be available to municipalities.
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