Letter: 'Political theater' won't solve paperwork problem

I appreciate the good intentions behind the Daily Herald Editorial Board's suggestion that the county clerk's office engage in the display of political theater DuPage County Board Chairman Dan Cronin is attempting to orchestrate for this week's board meeting. Determining why DuPage County failed to collect millions of dollars of cannabis sales tax revenue is indeed vitally important.

That is why my office has already answered requests from the state's attorney, auditor, and county board chairman to clarify our small role in this process. The county clerk's office provides copies of documents requested by the county board pursuant to the directions given by the county board. If a duplicate copy is requested for any reason, we promptly provide it, which is how this particular problem was eventually solved. Getting to the bottom of why it took Dan Cronin's staff nearly two years to realize his own cannabis tax ordinance had never been implemented is not a conversation that involves my office in any way.

Despite that fact, Chairman Cronin has spent weeks blustering a public attack campaign to avoid accountability for his office's failure and his own lack of leadership, and he now invites me to appear for a show trial over which he himself will preside.

I will not play Dan Cronin's games. Between his unhinged ranting from the chairman's seat, his sarcastic and unprofessional interruptions and talking over female county board members, and his failure to maintain basic standards of decorum, Cronin has delegitimized the proceedings of his own board floor. I welcome the Daily Herald's continued investigation into the truthfulness and transparency of Chairman Cronin's representations regarding the cannabis tax delay. Once the facts are all out in the open, I would be happy to revisit the question of whether an invitation from Dan Cronin to "work together" should be taken at face value.

Jean Kaczmarek, DuPage County Clerk

Wheaton