Memorial Day ceremonies will be held throughout our great nation to remember and honor those who died while fighting for our freedom. One of the many heroes who will be memorialized this weekend is U.S. Army Spc. Samuel Watts of Wheaton who passed away on May 19 from injuries sustained last month in Afghanistan.
This spring has brought unseasonably warm temperatures and sunny skies, encouraging us to venture outside. While visiting your favorite trail or park, you will notice that spring in DuPage County also means road construction season. As the weather warms up, DuPage County seizes the opportunity to maintain the infrastructure that drivers depend on.
press Mission continues to make government smarter, leaner 2012-03-12 County Budget Message from the Chairman DuPage County recently released the first in a series of landmark reports that cite recommendations on how to improve local agencies. This report is an important step in my mission to make go
We all realize that government at every level is dealing with budget pressures due to flat revenues and high costs. Even smaller public agencies are looking for new ways to save money while continuing to provide vital services.Taking on this task will require fresh leadership and innovative ideas – this is where I hope you can help. We are forming a “Citizens Service Team” to invite folks like you to join our effort to reform local government and bring new ideas and new energy to the table.
The holiday season certainly is a tremendous time to give, receive and show appreciation to our loved ones. Yet it can also cause a lot of stress for families who are struggling to make ends meet. In DuPage County alone, more than 150,000 residents fall into this category.
One year ago, I had the honor of being inaugurated as the new DuPage County Board Chairman. The past year has provided many opportunities to make county government work more efficiently and more productively on behalf of DuPage County residents.
December marks the beginning of DuPage County’s fiscal year and I look forward to this new year knowing that as a County Board we recently passed a fiscally responsible budget that provides essential services without asking for more money from our taxpayers.
On Sept. 13, I presented the 2012 budget that builds on the successes that we have achieved this year. The FY 2012 budget of $434.7 million is $10.3 million less than the current budget.
In our continued effort to improve communication and provide essential news to DuPage residents, this webpage has been redesigned to be more user-friendly and informative.
In March 1770, Crispus Attucks and four other colonists died at the hands of British troops during the Boston Massacre. Their deaths, which triggered events leading to the Revolutionary War and the birth of our nation, are largely identified as the first casualties of war in American history.
The beginning of 2011 offers everyone a chance for a fresh start with new ideas about how to achieve success during the year.
Earlier this month, I accepted the honor and responsibility of serving as the new DuPage County Board Chairman. I genuinely look forward to working on your behalf over the next four years.
I’m here this evening very humbled…very grateful…and very mindful of the tremendous privilege that has been given to me by the voters of DuPage County.
As our mission continues to make government more accountable, transparent and efficient, I recently introduced the DuPage ACT Initiative (Accountability, Consolidation, Transparency) that provides county-appointed agencies with a roadmap to instill a variety of reforms. One significant piece of the ACT Initiative includes a new ethics ordinance for the 24-appointed agencies.
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Governor Quinn Recognizes DuPage County's Efforts to Increase Accountability, Transparency
2012-08-14
DuPage County was recently recognized by Governor Pat Quinn for our efforts to increase government accountability and transparency.
The Governor hosted a bill signing ceremony last month in ou
While most units of government must struggle with whether to raise taxes or cut services – or both – we in DuPage County are in the rare position of reducing the cost of government without jeopardizing the level of service we provide to taxpayers.
DuPage County is committed to improving public safety and
relieving congestion on our roadways. Therefore, we have teamed up with the
State of Illinois and local municipalities on a variety of projects that will
improve safety for motorists and pedestrians alike at two railroad
intersections in Downers Grove and West Chicago.
Recently our country has mourned over two acts of senseless violence. Within the same week, a gunman entered a busy Oregon mall and opened fire taking the lives of three people and a separate tragic scene took place at a Connecticut elementary school where a gunman killed 26 people, where 20 of the victims were children between the ages of five and 10 years old.
With its unique collection of amenities from historical museums, musical venues and zoos, DuPage County embodies a premier cultural destination. It was recently announced that the Chicago Symphony Orchestra will join our DuPage County cultural community when it performs at the Morton Arboretum in Lisle this summer.
As chairman of the County Board, I have made it my mission to make government more accountable, transparent and efficient. Through that initiative, I have focused on strengthening the County’s ethics ordinance in an effort to better protect taxpayers from government fraud.
After nearly two years of evaluating the County’s independent agencies, I am pleased to report that we have successfully eliminated one outdated entity from property tax bills through the DuPage ACT Initiative (Accountability, Consolidation and Transparency).
Illinois’ 7,000 units of government have created multiple layers of inefficiency that place an unnecessary financial burden on taxpayers. In an effort to reduce the size, scope and cost of local government, I initiated legislation in Springfield that would provide DuPage County with new tools to achieve incremental reform.