SPRINGFIELD – DuPage County Board member Liz Chaplin (D-Downers Grove) and State Sen. Chris Nybo (R-Elmhurst) are working to streamline local government and reduce taxpayer costs by exploring whether to return the electoral process to the DuPage County Clerk’s office.
Chaplin and Nybo are asking that the issue be considered by the Local Government and Unfunded Mandates Task Force chaired by Lt. Gov. Evelyn Sanguinetti. The electoral process in every other county in Illinois is administered by the County Clerk’s office.
“DuPage County is one of just a few counties with an independent Election Commission and electoral process,” Chaplin said. “We are recommending that the election board be appointed by their representative parties at their bi-annual convention making the process open, fair and transparent. The people of DuPage need to be a part of the electoral process.”
A report authorized by DuPage County Chairman Dan Cronin acknowledged the “overlap of administrative positions” between the Clerk’s office and the Election Commission.
“Citizens in other counties have a say in the electoral process, and the citizens of DuPage should be afforded the same opportunity. Plus, the higher costs associated with duplicated administrative costs are not an efficient way to run government,” Nybo said.
Gov. Bruce Rauner created the Local Government and Unfunded Mandates Task Force to identify ways to help local governments consolidate and eliminate duplicate governmental bodies, school districts and taxing authorities. Streamlining these services will help prevent waste and use taxpayer dollars more efficiently. It will also find ways to reduce the number of unfunded mandates the state imposes on local communities.
The task force is comprised of municipal and county leaders, representatives of school districts, state legislators, and experts in consolidation. They represent all areas of Illinois, and both political parties.
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