DuPage forest board wants control of district mapping

DuPage County Forest Preserve commissioners are seeking legislative assistance to sever its remaining tie to the county board.

A bill proposed by state Sen. Don Harmon, an Oak Park Democrat, would allow the forest preserve to control its own district mapping in the future. Currently, the forest preserve has to follow the representation apportionment designed by the county board.

Forest preserve commissioners are supporting the bill because rumors have begun swirling that the county board could increase or decrease its number of districts next year.

Two possible redistricting scenarios are being bandied about. The first would increase the number of districts from six to nine, while maintaining the total number of board members at 18, with two members from each district. The second would cut the number of districts to five and reduce the number of board members to 15, with three members from each district.

Either scenario would be a problem for the forest board. Going to nine districts would require the commission to add three posts at a cost of more than $150,000 a year in just board salaries. Scaling back to five districts would create an even number of votes - when the president's vote is included - making breaking ties impossible.

Harmon's bill would keep the forest preserve's district number at six and allow the commission to design its own representation map, something it currently has no say in.

"We have no seat at the table now," complained commissioner Mike Formento.

Administration of DuPage's forest preserves was under the purview of the county board until 2002 when the two boards splintered and six county board seats became forest preserve commission posts. Part of the stipulation at the time of the split was that salaries for each office were to be the same and the forest preserve commission would have one representative from every county board district.

The forest preserve was granted legislative permission to change the rules regarding salaries several years ago. Commissioners now actually make slightly more than county board members. The district representation requirement is the only remaining connection left between the forest preserve commission and its county board brethren.

Forest Preserve President Dewey Pierotti said he heard grumblings about redistricting scenarios for the county board recently from county Republican leaders and was concerned about the implications to the forest preserve commission.

State Sen. Dan Cronin, head of the county GOP and Republican nominee for county board chairman, said he hasn't seen a "compelling reason" for Harmon's legislation. However, Cronin said he currently opposes any increase to the forest preserve commission ranks that would be a result of any redistricting.

"I don't know if that's good," he said. "At this stage I think not, but don't hold me to it."