DuPage may pay for cost-saving ideas from within

Acknowledging that DuPage County needs to do a better job of saving money, county board members are exploring the possibility of rewarding county employees who develop cost-saving ideas.

The board’s finance initiative subcommittee on Tuesday reviewed a draft of a proposed employee incentive program. If adopted, it would encourage employees to identify “more efficient and effective use of the county’s financial and human assets,” officials said.

Timothy Trotter, the county’s manager of strategic planning, said large companies have found that innovative ideas often come from within.

“The key is how do you tap those ideas and bring them forward,” Trotter said.

As part of the proposed program, employees who suggest an idea that saves DuPage money over an extended period of time would receive an award and be inducted into a “Innovator Hall of Fame.” They also would receive a bonus based on the savings their idea generates.

Trotter said the hope is to get county employees to think “out of the box” in the future.

“Everybody within the organization tends to get comfortable with what we do,” he said. “But we have to be challenged, because we have some real needs here at the county.”

County board member John Zediker, who is chairman of the subcommittee, said he agrees DuPage needs innovative ideas that save money.

“Quite frankly, we know that budgets aren’t going to be growing organically like they used to,” Zediker said. “So we need to figure out ways that we can still provide great services but without increasing (spending).”