Above / With full support, the DuPage County Board passed a balanced Budget for FY24, keeping the property tax rate flat for next fiscal year. The County Board meets at 10AM on the second and fourth Tuesdays of most months in the County Board chambers of the JTK Administration Building, 421 N. County Farm Road, Wheaton, Illinois. (PN File Photo)
Wheaton – The DuPage County Board on Tues., Nov. 28, unanimously approved its Fiscal Year 2024 budget, which includes a balanced, $625 million spending plan and keeps the property tax rate flat.
“This is a fiscally responsible spending plan that makes critical infrastructure investments which will take the pressure off upcoming budgets,” stated County Board Chair Deborah Conroy in a news release. “In the coming year, we will provide vital assistance to our residents who need it most, while adding to our reserves and prepaying on County financial obligations. Our careful planning will allow the County to provide an outstanding level of service to our community while building a strong financial foundation for the future.”
The total proposed budget for DuPage County is $625 million, with a General Fund of $242.5 million. The General Fund is the County’s chief operating fund, covering most personnel and program operations. The proposed budget includes a $70.5 million property tax levy, which captures new construction in the County being added to the property tax rolls. The DuPage County property tax rate remains flat, comprising just two percent of the average DuPage County homeowner’s property tax bill.
County projects 2023 Fiscal Year to end with $18.9 million surplus
Due to careful financial planning, DuPage County is projected to finish the 2023 Fiscal Year with a surplus of $18.9 million. In her Sept. 26 budget address, Conroy laid out a plan to utilize funds to eliminate future budgetary burdens. The Board approved the plan, including:
- $3 million dedicated to updating and replacing aging County campus infrastructure
- $2.5 million for affordable housing projects in DuPage County
- Additional $2 million for transportation infrastructure
- $800,000 for Stormwater management projects
- $500,000 to design and build sidewalks and improve street lighting in the Willowbrook Corners community
Additional funds from the County surplus and investment income on the County’s American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) allocation will be spent to purchase a new camera system in the jail, replace the 50-year-old HVAC system in the County’s 421 Administration Building, add $1 million to General Fund reserves, and establish a dedicated fund to reduce employee accrued benefit liabilities.
“These investments will pre-pay obligations that would stress our General Fund within the next few years,” Conroy said. “Making these investments now will solidify our strong financial footing and allow us to weather any future financial storms without impacting our operations or service levels.”
DuPage County also will provide $2.6 million to address food insecurity and assist food pantries in the County and more than $1 million to assist small nonprofit organizations.
The 2024 Fiscal Year begins on Dec. 1. To learn more about the FY2024 budget, visit www.dupagecounty.gov/finance.
A note about DuPage County… DuPage County government’s mission is “to ensure that our communities will always be desirable places to live, work and raise families, where all feel welcomed.” DuPage County employs 2,259 people. The largest department is the Sheriff’s Office.
Report submitted Nov. 28, 2023, by Evan Shields, Public Information Officer, DuPage County Board.
