Deb Conroy: 2026 candidate for DuPage County chair

Bio

Office sought: DuPage County chair

Party: Democrat

City: Lombard

Age: 64

Previous offices held: Elmhurst CUSD 205 Board Member; State Representative, 2012-2022; DuPage County Board Chair, 2022-present

Q&A

Why are you running for this office? Is there a particular issue that motivates you?

My motivations for running for office have always been the same — to serve my community and to bring people together to enact policy that positively impacts the lives of the people we represent. I come from a working class family; hard work, common sense, and compassion for our neighbors is at the core of who I am as a person and as an elected official. I am most motivated by the stories that I hear from people in the community. As State Representative, I worked tirelessly with a small group of local moms to force insurance companies to cover the cost of treatment for their children’s rare, but completely treatable, illness. Recently, the stories have been those of the young families who want to put down roots in DuPage County and raise their families but can’t afford to buy a home, or the parents stuck in lower wage jobs because they can’t afford to pay for childcare while they obtain job training. There is so much more work to be done to support DuPage families and continue to move our county forward.

If you are an incumbent, describe your main contributions. Tell us of any important initiatives you've led. If you are a challenger, what would you bring to the job and what would your priority be?

I am proud that our work in DuPage County proves government can be fiscally responsible while also caring for our people. While we’ve expanded critical services for residents, we’ve also maintained the financial stability that residents expect from their government. During my tenure we have held county property tax rates flat while creating surpluses. We received our third AAA bond rating upgrade, making DuPage one of only 2% of counties in the nation to have AAA ratings from all three credit rating agencies. Responsible, forward-thinking budgeting allows us to make smart financial decisions to invest in long-term planning without jeopardizing our fiscal stability. We still invest in new services that help people in our community; we recently celebrated the first anniversary of the Crisis Recovery Center, a first-of-its-kind center to treat mental health and addiction in a non-emergency setting, serve youth, and accept anyone regardless of insurance status. I secured state funding when I was a State Representative and I’ve been proud to see this project through completion and opening as Chair. We are serving people with dignity while saving resources by diverting patients from ERs.

Is there a specific service or amenity that is lacking in the county? If so, how do you propose to provide and fund it?

Housing has been one of the greatest pressure points for residents in our county. My proposed budget for next year includes a first-time homebuyer program for qualified applicants to receive up to $15,000 from the county (and up to an additional $15,000 from the Illinois Housing Development Authority) to help with the cost of a down payment on a home. For renters, my budget proposes a new rental assistance program for eligible renters to be paid as direct payment to landlords to avoid eviction and displacement. These new programs will help DuPage County residents maintain stable housing and continue contributing to our local economy without increasing taxes.

What initiatives would you support to increase revenue and/or save money?

DuPage County has avoided implementing tax increases or new revenue streams, which should continue to be our goals. We have held the line on taxes not just because of responsible budgeting, but also because people and businesses are choosing DuPage and growing our economy and our tax base. I think the most important factor in raising revenue and spending taxpayer dollars effectively is transparency. Requiring a public competitive bidding process, having an open budgeting process, and being transparent about our fiscal situation not only shines the light on county functions that the public deserves, but also leads to more honest discussion about spending priorities and opportunities to streamline.

How would you manage the overall county budget, particularly as it relates to controlling the expenses of county offices that report to the county board but control their own budgets.

We have an incredible team across county departments that ensures we are good stewards of taxpayer dollars, from making sure that bidding and procurement is executed correctly to accounting for every dollar spent through receipts and documentation. It is an incredible responsibility and overall our county teams work well together to uphold the integrity of the county’s budget and appropriations process, which apply to every county office. It has always been my goal to hold all of the county’s departments and officials to the highest standards of accounting and to follow applicable laws.

Describe your leadership style and explain how that will help the entire county board work most effectively and efficiently.

I believe that any problem can be solved when you bring the right people to the table. Leadership is never about having all of the answers, it is about having the humility and the experience to identify and maximize the talents of the individuals around us. As County Board Chair, I make decisions on appointments, responsibilities and hiring based on this same idea of building a table of people who bring their own unique skills and assets — critical areas of expertise, firsthand experience, diverse backgrounds, or unique perspectives. My record shows that this board shares responsibilities and works collaboratively together to accomplish our shared goals.