County board can avoid partisanship
Elections often give us a lot to think about. One thought that comes to mind is that the newly elected DuPage County Board has an excellent opportunity to demonstrate bipartisan cooperation.
Among the board's existing 18 members is one Democrat. When the newly elected members are sworn in, there will be seven Democrats. All members of the new board will be faced with a choice: band together along party lines or value the perspectives of all colleagues and work together to keep DuPage County moving forward.
Is it reasonable to expect that the DuPage Board can do what Springfield and Washington regularly fail to do? Yes. The issues that come before the board are overwhelmingly related to operations and services - nonpartisan by their nature. These are the same types of issues that come before the Elmhurst City Council. As aldermen, each of our personal perspectives may be more reflective of one party or another, but our elections are nonpartisan, and there is a high level of respect and cooperation among us.
Cooperation requires compromise, which means that not all outcomes will be completely consistent with our preferences. This is the case for elected officials and their constituents, who inevitably have a wide variety of perspectives. If we expect our legislators to work together to influence outcomes, then we (as a community and as their constituents) must do for them what we ask them to do for us - listen, gather information, and understand perspectives.
To the incoming DuPage County Board members, please be an example of bipartisan cooperation that provides hope for the same in our state and nation's capitals. To our fellow DuPage County residents, please continue to support the public servants we've just elected as they work together to take us forward to the best of their ability.
Aldermen Marti Deuter, Scott Levin
Elmhurst