DuPage County Board chair race: Conroy seeks second term against challenger Grasso

While DuPage County Board Chair Deborah Conroy has her eyes on a second term to continue building on the accomplishments of her first, her opponent, Burr Ridge Mayor Gary Grasso, says it’s time for a new direction.

Conroy, 64, was first elected to lead the county board in 2022. Before that, she served in the Illinois House of Representatives for 10 years.

Grasso, 75, has served as mayor of Burr Ridge since 2019. Previously, he served on the DuPage County Board from 2012 to 2018 and as mayor of Burr Ridge from 2005 to 2012.

Voters will decide on Nov. 3 who gets to take the county board helm the next four years.

Building on accomplishments

Conroy, of Lombard, became the first woman and Democrat to lead the county board in decades. Her victory also came as Democrats won majority control of the county board.

“I’m running again because of the amazing work we’ve achieved in four years, and there’s more work to be done,” Conroy said. “I love DuPage County, and it’s a privilege to get to represent this community.”

In her first term, the county board adopted programs to help address food insecurity and launched an ad hoc solutions commission to address affordable housing needs. This year, Conroy’s proposed $710 million budget includes funding for two housing initiatives that would provide first-time homebuyer assistance and rental assistance to qualifying residents.

Conroy counts the opening of the county’s Crisis Recovery Center, which provides addiction recovery and mental health resources to help stabilize those in crisis, among her achievements. The center, which opened in Wheaton in 2025, completed more than 2,000 on-site assessments in its first year of operations.

If reelected, Conroy hopes to pursue a satellite campus for the Crisis Recovery Center to better serve those in the southern part of the county. She also hopes to work with the sheriff’s department to address mental health needs at the county jail.

Grasso said he also would continue the work to address affordable housing, food insecurity and mental health needs.

Board size and salaries

An April vote increasing the board chair’s salary by 35% has been a focal point of Grasso’s campaign.

The 13-4 vote, which included support from Republicans and Democrats, has drawn opposition from critics who have argued the approved salary of $185,000 was higher than the initial proposal to increase the chair’s salary from $136,969 to $154,390.

“It’s wrong, period,” Grasso said. “The fact that Republicans voted for it … I’m appalled. There is no justification for a $50,000 raise that was not on the agenda and went through in 7 1/2 minutes with no comment.”

Grasso has said he would seek to rescind the increase or would donate it if it could not be rescinded.

Additionally, Grasso supports shrinking the size of the county board, suggesting the 18-member board be cut in half, at a minimum.

Conroy brushed off criticism of the salary hike, saying she did not have a vote or any control over what the board decided and noted a Republican board member suggested the higher amount to support the full-time demands of the position.

“The board definitely indicated that’s what they want out of future chairs … that they’re focused wholly on DuPage County,” Conroy said, adding she also makes charitable contributions.

Conroy said if the board wanted to cut its size, she would support it. However, the next time members could consider the board’s size is after the 2030 census, she said.

County spending

DuPage County Board members are expected to approve a proposed $710 million budget in late November.

Grasso questions the growth of the county’s budget — up from $510 million in fiscal 2024.

“The costs have gotten out of whack and need to be reined in,” he said.

Grasso questions the need for an $84 million transportation complex to be built on the county fairground property — among some of the proposed spending.

County board members have been planning since 2024 for the new complex, which largely will be funded from the transportation division’s budget. The proposed budget sets aside $45 million in the coming fiscal year to cover part of the cost.

Grasso suggested rather than building a new transportation complex, the county should be working with the nine township highway commissioners to find ways to consolidate highway maintenance programs.

He also said he would advocate for a 0.5% countywide sales tax increase to replace the county’s reliance on property taxes or use the county’s surplus funds to abate a portion of the county’s property taxes.

Conroy noted the county’s portion of the property tax bill amounts to about 2% of the total and that the county has limited its levy increase to only capture the value of new growth in property values. She adds the county’s property tax rate has remained flat and that the county is on track to be debt free by 2035.

In addition, Conroy said increased revenue in the county’s existing sales tax has helped fund various projects and services. Abating taxes, she said, would hinder the county from offering programs that benefit residents.

“I believe government should work for the people and we have the resources to do that,” she said.

Alicia Fabbre is a freelance reporter for the Daily Herald.