DuPage County chairman presents balanced 2015 budget proposal to board - Caption(Nathan Lurz - nlurz@shawmedia) By NATHAN LURZ - nlurz@shawmedia - WHEATON – Another year, another balanced budget in DuPage County. County Board Chairman Dan Cronin presented his budget proposal Tuesday, which included no property tax increases. While the $447.2 million proposition for the 2015 fiscal year represents a $26.5 million decrease over the 2014 budget, the majority of savings stem from how the county reports its debt services, Cronin said. He called the budget a “program of fiscal restraint and creative, responsible use of taxpayer dollars.” Cronin said by keeping tax levy increases low or nonexistent instead of hiking them by the maximum allowed, the county saved taxpayers a projected $80 million dollars during the past four years. He credited, in part, the county’s commitment to sharing services with outside groups and consolidating redundant organizations for its steady financial state. Specifically, Cronin pointed to the county’s DuPage Community Health Center and recent work with the Robert Crown Center on heroin education as examples of a reduction of taxpayer cost that still achieved results. He also said the budget would again set aside $1 million in grant money for local nonprofits. “When we collaborate ... we can make our taxpayer dollars go further and do more than if we were acting alone,” he said. “This strategy has, I believe, distinguished our approach.” Cronin also praised his fellow board members for supporting the Accountability, Consolidation and Transparency Initiative, aimed at reducing the size and cost of local government. Earlier this year, the board voted to begin dissolving the Fairview Fire Protection District, which was deemed redundant. The full elimination will occur this month, Cronin said, and the county is considering doing the same with the North Westmont Fire Protection District and the Salt Creek and Highland Hills sanitary districts. Cronin said the county’s largest source of income – sales taxes – was projected to do well in 2015, with an estimated 3.75-percent growth totaling about $94.1 million. DuPage County also saw 102 new business projects last year, he said, which is evidence of a good business environment. Unemployment fell to 5.5 percent, the lowest among area counties and a point lower than the state rate. “I believe we’re reaping the fruits of an economic strategy that served us well during the Great Recession,” he said. “We tightened our belts where it made sense, kept our property tax rate flat, yet never skimped on services to our citizens who needed them.” Cronin dedicated a good portion of his presentation to residents who use county resources. DuPage County is becoming more diverse – 18 percent of residents are born outside the U.S., needier – nearly 175,000 are considered low-income, and older – the number of senior citizens in DuPage County grew by nearly 20 percent between 2000 and 2010. Maintaining a balanced budget while meeting those growing needs is a “one year at a time” process, he said. “This new normal here in DuPage, both economic and demographic, challenges us like never before,” he said. “As policy makers, it is up to us to find ways to create sustainable financial models that provide the right mix of taxpayer dollars ... and other funding sources to provide a vital safety net for DuPage residents.” County Finance Committee Chairman and board member Paul Fichtner said his committee would review the proposal at its Oct. 28 meeting and hold a two public hearings in the coming months. The board will see a full budget proposal Nov. 18 and another hearing will be held before the projected Nov. 25 approval date. The county is required to have a budget in place by Dec. 1. mysuburbanlife/2014/09/09/dupage-county-chairman-presents-balanced-2015-budget-proposal-to-board/aeed17/
Posted on: Mon, 15 Sep 2014 13:49:56 +0000