DuPage treasurer candidates differ on modernization, technology needs

Two candidates with different types of qualifications are seeking the office of DuPage County treasurer — one with an accounting degree who’s a certified public accountant, and the other a litigation attorney who’s versed in the legal side of government finances.

The candidates are 17-year incumbent Gwen Henry, an 84-year-old Wheaton Republican, and challenger Yeena Yoo, a 47-year-old Elmhurst Democrat, who currently represents District 2 on the DuPage County Board.

In a candidate questionnaire submitted to the Daily Herald, Henry says she has the financial and leadership experience to keep managing the tax and investment functions of the treasurer’s office.

Yoo says she would bring fresh eyes and dedication as a “thoughtful, engaged leader” in the position.

Henry says she also holds a certification as a certified public finance administrator, and her experience as county treasurer for the better part of two decades makes her the best candidate for the role.

“The treasurer must have a deep understanding of public finance to be able to run the day-to-day operations of the office and oversee over $800 million in investments,” Henry said in her questionnaire. “The treasurer also needs to be able to provide exemplary customer service, working with individual taxpayers.”

During her years as treasurer, Henry says she has modernized the office with new technology, started electronic billing and electronic payments, and began to allow partial property tax payments.

To continue improving the office’s efficiency, Henry says she would work to increase the number of taxpayers who receive their property tax bills by email and pay them online. This year, the county sent about 330,700 property tax bills, but only about 9,000 of them — or 2.7% — went out via email.

Henry said increasing the number of bills emailed will save costs for both postage and employee time — and on this point, Yoo agrees.

Yoo acknowledges some of the modernizations made in the recent past — including the switch to a new property tax administration system in 2022 — but says “ongoing technical issues remain unresolved.” She says expanding digital services is a must for the county treasurer.

“The office needs to modernize its operations by reducing reliance on paper, printing and postage, saving taxpayer dollars while expanding convenient digital services and payment options for residents,” Yoo said in her questionnaire.

Yoo also said the DuPage County treasurer’s office needs a “comprehensive redesign” to “make it a more useful, accessible, and user-friendly resource for taxpayers.” She says this could be accomplished with little extra cost by working with the county’s internal IT staff to “streamline navigation, make information easier to find, and expand the services taxpayers can complete online.”

Yoo said her experience on the county board and her legal understanding will help her lead the professional, finance-focused staff of the office, despite the fact that she is not an accountant herself.

“I’ll use technology to automate routine processes, improve efficiency, and free staff to focus on what matters most: serving taxpayers,” Yoo said. “My goal is a treasurer’s office that is more efficient, responsive and better equipped to meet the needs of DuPage County residents today and in the future.”

Marie Wilson is a freelance reporter for the Daily Herald.