I am not comfortable with the County’s 2008 budget, which is why I proposed an alternative budget. Working with the Countywide Elected Officers, I was able to make surgical cuts to the budget that allowed public safety and human services to continue operating at the minimum levels needed. In addition, I pointed out additional revenue sources that will be realized in the coming year, which would be used to balance the budget. Unfortunately, my alternative budget lost 11-7 on the Board. However, I believe my alternative budget will be back before the Board in February, as a template for us to use when we begin adjusting the 2008 Budget.

New revenue sources must be found for the future, or the County will not be able to meet its mandated roles in public safety and human services. In order to keep County services at the level most taxpayers want and expect, I support either the current call for a cigarette tax, or the Public Safety Sales Tax Referendum. Either of these revenue sources would allow the County to move forward without further service cuts. But this is a choice for the people of the County to make, and should not be mandated by either the County Board or the State Legislature.

If neither of these revenue sources come to fruition, it has always been my position that ‘user fees’ are the preferable way to pay for County services. State law dictates how much we can charge for county services. However, many of these user fees have not been increased for 10+ years, so we must now also use property tax dollars to continue providing these services. If the County must continue providing these services, the state legislature must allow the County to increase the fees that pay for these services; otherwise the state should allow us to discontinue the service. It is not fair that everyone pay for the special services only a few residents use.

When asked if the DuPage County Board made the right decision in making cuts that will go into effect immediately if the February sales tax referendum fails, and if those cuts are the right cuts, Jim responded...

No on both counts. As I stated previously, I am not comfortable with the County’s 2008 budget, which is why I proposed an alternative budget. Working with the Countywide Elected Officers, I was able to make surgical cuts to the budget that allowed public safety and human services to continue operating at the minimum levels needed. The cuts made by the administration just hacked off a percentage of employees and expenses in an effort to balance the budget. Little thought, and no effort was made to make policy choices on cuts.

Little if any effort was used to work with the Countywide Elected Officials to determine if there was a way around the cuts in their areas. My alternative budget did not reduce the number of police officers, states attorneys or probation officers. My alternative budget kept the public safety net intact in DuPage County! In addition, my alternative budget increased the funding to several of the County’s most needed social programs.

In addition, my alternative budget pointed out additional revenue sources that will be realized in the coming year, which would be used to balance the budget. Unfortunately, my alternative budget lost 11-7 on the Board. However, I believe my alternative budget will be back before the Board in February, as a template for us to use when we begin adjusting the 2008 Budget.