DuPage delays budget on hopes of cigarette tax

Hoping against hope state lawmakers will hand DuPage a cigarette tax, county leaders agreed Tuesday to delay budget plans.

Under new board rules, county board Chairman Robert Schillerstrom is required to present a budget in mid-September.

But with the county facing a shortfall of at least $20 million, many officials were reluctant to pull the trigger on a fiscal plan that could include layoffs if a solution is at hand.

The General Assembly could enact a tobacco tax that could generate more than $25 million for DuPage. But the likelihood of that gaining approval is dim, board member Brien Sheahan predicts.

"If the news is bad, we owe it to people to get the budget out sooner," said Sheahan, who voted against pushing the budget deadline into October.

He was in the minority, however, as others were optimistic legislators would come through and cautioned against accelerating a doomsday budget.

"These things are still in the works," said Patrick O'Shea, finance committee chairman, adding he'd spoken with a legislative lobbyist who rated the county's odds as "favorable."

Board member Linda Kurzawa warned drastic cuts could affect the county's quality of life. "We don't want to go back on that," she said.

The debate over extending the budget deadline comes in the context of a bitter fight to alter county policy giving board members more control over fiscal planning. Some, including Sheahan, charged the process was "veiled in secrecy."

Board member Debra Olson requested that Schillerstrom give the board budget scenarios with and without extra revenues from a cigarette tax.

"I want to see how the chairman is attempting to deal with this budget crisis," she said.

But others reasoned no time would be lost because board members could review sections of the budget dealing with non-corporate funds such as transportation. The bulk of revenues for transportation comes from gas taxes. The corporate fund, which includes salaries for employees, is heavily reliant on other taxes, such as property tax.

"We're not going to sit idly by," board member Tom Bennington said. "We'll use our time efficiently."

Schillerstrom warned cuts will be draconian with no cigarette tax.

"If we don't find a new revenue source, significant cuts will be made that have a negative impact on people's lives," he said.