Plenty of ideas, little funding at DuPage panel meeting

There was no shortage of ideas at the inaugural gathering of the DuPage County Ad-Hoc Committee on Government Transparency and Accessibility.

There might be a shortage of funding, however.

Members of the committee - made up of one county board member from each of the six districts - suggested a plethora of initiatives that would make it easier for John Q. Public to see what the county is up to. But many of the proposals would require substantial financial investments to get off the ground.

"We could come up with a thousand wish lists," warned District 6 board member James Zay. "If we had extra money laying around, that'd be great. But we have to watch these things so we don't break the bank."

County board Chairman Robert Schillerstrom said the county needs to invest in computer technology upgrades in order to make government business more accessible to residents.

Transparency was a major campaign issue for both parties during the November election. Both sides hailed county Auditor Bob Grogan's recent decision to begin publishing the county's expenditures online each month.

Along those lines, board member Grant Eckhoff suggested publishing statement of economic interest reports that every elected official and dozens of county employees have to fill out every years. Eckhoff said most public documents should be put online.

"Every time someone comes up with the idea of whether to put something online, it's usually, 'Yes,'" he said.

Board member John Curran suggested the committee also draft legislation outlawing campaign donations from companies that do business with the county.

Committee Chairman Jeff Redick has scheduled a slate of meetings for the new group and is inviting leaders from various watchdog groups to share what initiatives they believe would make the county more open. An e-mail account for the public has also been created at transparency@dupageco.org to allow residents an opportunity to provide input on government openness.

The committee's next meeting is slated for Feb. 10, and a preliminary report on their findings is expected in early March.