DuPage to decide whether to keep lobbyists

A county board committee on Tuesday is expected to recommend whether DuPage should spend $284,000 to continue using four lobbying firms to push its legislative agenda.

Two of the firms - All-Circo Inc. and V.A. Persico Consulting Inc. - are working with state lawmakers on the county's behalf. Another firm, BGR Government Affairs LLC, focuses on federal initiatives.

The fourth firm, McGuire Woods Consulting, represents both the county board and the DuPage Health Department at the state level.

Members of the county board's legislative committee are scheduled to take a series of votes on each of the proposed contracts during a 9:30 a.m. meeting at the DuPage administration building, 421 N. County Farm Road in Wheaton.

Vince Persico is a former state legislator from Glen Ellyn who has represented DuPage as a lobbyist since 2003 and currently serves as its lead state lobbyist. If Persico's firm is retained, it will be paid $60,000 from Sept. 1 to Aug. 31, 2015.

As part of its proposed contract, All-Circo would be paid $120,000 from Sept. 15 to Sept. 14, 2015. The firm has represented the county at the state level since September 2011.

Meanwhile, BGR Government Affairs might be paid $80,000 to promote the county's interests at the federal level between Sept. 1 and Aug. 31, 2015. The Washington, D.C.-based firm has represented DuPage since September 2009.

Finally, McGuire Woods Consulting would get $24,000 as part of its proposed contract with the county. The firm has represented the DuPage Health Department since 2008 and the county board since 2011.

Vendor disclosure statements show that V.A. Persico contributed to the campaigns of county board members within the past 12 months. Between August 2013 and February 2014, the firm donated $760 to board Chairman Dan Cronin, $150 to board member Grant Eckhoff, $100 to board member John Curran and $50 to board member Tonia Khouri, records show.