DuPage sheriff, others decry job cuts

Some DuPage County elected officials are not pleased with the county board's plan to eliminate 30 vacant positions throughout the county to help finance a $70 million capital improvement borrowing plan.

Sheriff John Zaruba assailed the proposal that calls for seven of the 30 position cuts to come from his department.

Zaruba said he was “astonished and bewildered when he heard about the proposed cuts.

“The elimination of seven deputy sheriffs would severely impact our service, he said at Tuesday's county board judicial and public safety committee meeting.

County board members contend no one's asking the sheriff to cut deputies. Board members said the cuts are only to vacant positions. According to county personnel audits, the sheriff's department has 10 vacancies with a full-time head count of 535 employees, though he's authorized to have as many as 545.

“I'm very flexible with letting (elected leaders) figure out their own department staffing and where to come up with reallocating resources to pay for the bond program, said board member John Zediker. “I would not be in favor of laying off deputies.

Board members suggested the sheriff could cut civilian positions instead of deputy posts.

Zaruba asked the board to keep his staffing level at 545 and he would “try to maintain his operating costs at the current level. Zaruba didn't explain how he would pay for the additional employees without an increase to his personnel budget, but county staffers said they were told it likely would come by reducing overtime costs.

County Court Clerk Chris Kachiroubas also complained about plans to eliminate positions from his department. Coroner Pete Siekmann and Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Management Director Norm Sturm also indicated a position in each of those departments the county board had marked as vacant were actually filled. Sturm said eliminating one position from his department would reduce his staffing by 10 percent.

The county board identified cutting the 30 positions as a way of justifying the capital improvement package. It will cost taxpayers about $125 million during the 30-year life of the debt program to pay off the principal and interest of the construction loans.

The county board has until the end of November to approve next year's operating budget.