Vote 'no' to county sales tax increase
We are grateful that the General Assembly recognized the collar counties need for public safety funds in the RTA funding package. The legislation recently passed includes a quarter-cent sales tax increase dedicated for public safety and transportation in the collars. That legislation would not have passed without the vision and courage of three DuPage state senators: Dan Cronin, Kirk Dillard and John Millner. They stood up for their constituents and their county and put partisan politics aside. Thanks to their leadership we averted a budget crisis that would have deeply effected our quality of life.
Due to the passage of the RTA bill, there is no need for DuPage County to pass the public safety sales tax referendum on the Feb. 5 primary ballot. We cannot in good conscience seek another quarter-cent tax and we will not accept it. I am strongly urging all voters to vote no on the referendum question.
The share that DuPage County will receive from the transit sales tax will suffice to meet most of our immediate needs. The additional revenue will allow us to avoid layoffs in law enforcement, prosecutors and probation officers, keeping our streets, communities and citizens safe. The additional revenue will also mitigate drastic program cuts in other programs and allow us to address much needed congestion relief projects.
As we set our priorities, the county board will be looking at our strategic plan to determine the best use of funds to maintain and enhance our quality of life. The board will work closely with elected officials to help bring their budgets back to 2007 levels and begin to explore their long-term needs.
DuPage County is one of the leanest, most efficient governments in the U.S. Our property taxes are the lowest of the collar counties and among the lowest in the nation for comparable counties. We have held the line on taxes and carefully managed our budget and our spending over the years: We refused to raise taxes when we did not need the revenue. We will not impose the public safety sales tax, even if it is passed. The taxpayer deserves the least possible burden. Please vote no to the referendum.
Robert J. Schillerstrom Chairman, DuPage County Board