DuPage board members avoid confrontation over assignments

Several months after giving themselves the power to make their own committee assignments, DuPage County Board members made sure the process went as smoothly as possible Tuesday.

The board needed less than an hour to approve the assignment of members to 15 committees and name panel chairmen and vice chairmen.

“It went much smoother this year than in the past,” said board member Grant Eckhoff, who kept his position as chairman of the economic development committee. “We were able to work things out and have cooperation.”

The congenial atmosphere during Tuesday morning's meeting was a contrast to the bickering that happened last year when the board balked at former Chairman Robert Schillerstrom's committee appointments. At that time, the board ended up deciding for themselves which committee assignments and leadership roles they would take.

Then they permanently gave themselves that ability in September when they seized control of the chairman position's appointment, hiring and other powers.

Board member Pat O'Shea said it simply didn't make sense to have one person tell 18 others what to do.

“I think everybody is happy with the outcome,” O'Shea said of the assignments. “They all had a hand in the outcome. And we don't have any heavy-handedness by the chairman.”

Board member Paul Fichtner admits he didn't know what to expect before earning enough votes to keep his spot as finance committee chairman.

“When you get 18 people in a room and try to hash something out, sometimes, it can lead to problems,” Fichtner said.

The only leadership role that was contested was the chairman position for the health and human services committee.

Board member Robert Larsen became chairman of that panel after he and three fellow Republicans outvoted the three Democrats on the committee. Democratic board member Dirk Enger had to settle on being named vice chairman.

There also was no change in leadership to the influential transportation committee. Don Puchalski will keep his post as chairman, and Jim Healy will continue serving as vice chairman.