In plain terms, my job as chairman of the DuPage County Board is straightforward: during these tough economic times I need to make sure county government does the most it can with as little of your money as possible.

When it comes to financial performance, there is no place to hide. It’s right there, in black and white, for all to see.

The most recent example of this responsible approach to government finances is the $462 million DuPage County budget for 2009 that I presented recently. It is another budget that has earned DuPage County a reputation for prudent, restrained financial management that enhances and encourages economic development.

Since 1992, DuPage County budgets have saved taxpayers nearly $650 million, and this year’s balanced budget extends our “do-more-with-less” approach because it, among other objectives, includes no increase in the county government portion of property taxes; addresses critical infrastructure needs; creates a comprehensive road program to reduce traffic congestion, as well as invests in public transit; and invests in economic development, which will create jobs and retain and attract businesses.

In DuPage County, unlike Springfield or Washington, DC, we use a reality-based approach that has held our portion of property tax bills to no more than 2 percent for the last 10 years, reduced full-time headcount by more than 170, and earned a AAA bond rating, which less than one percent of all the counties in the country have.

The best example of how we use efficient government management to encourage economic development is how we address an issue that drives everyone crazy: transportation.

Transportation congestion is one of the biggest concerns facing our region.  It’s critical that we work to improve the time it takes our residents to get to work, as well as back to their families at the end of the day.

Our transportation priorities are western access to O’Hare, new funding and reforms for the RTA, and traffic congestion, especially on Route 59. All of them tighten the already-close connection between transportation and economic growth.

A modernized and more accessible O’Hare will stimulate more growth and more opportunities for economic development in all of DuPage County, not just the northeast corner of the county.

Construction of the western access to O’Hare will alleviate existing congestion and reduce the pressures future growth will put on our local roadways.  It will also create jobs and boost our regional economy. 

Another step in the right direction was the approval of new funding for and reforms of the RTA. We worked very hard to support this effort because it will significantly improve our ability to fund solutions to transportation problems in DuPage County.

The new RTA reforms also helped to assure continued and increased Metra and Pace service, especially when high gas prices motivate commuters to use public transit.  RTA funding and reforms are a step in the right direction, but Springfield did not go far enough. Instead of waiting for Springfield to act, we’re taking matters into our own hands in DuPage County.

That is why I proposed DuPage 2013, a comprehensive five-year, $220 million local capital program that will address congestion relief and infrastructure modernization through a long-term program that begins in 2009.

Among other initiatives, DuPage 2013 will improve roads to relieve traffic congestion, develop bike trails and open spaces, update government infrastructure and technology to be able to respond during the event of an emergency.

DuPage 2013 will be an economic stimulus to our county and region, and it will create nearly 5,500 jobs from the transportation program alone.

Our fiscal track record gives us the freedom to aggressively pursue economic development initiatives. This year, we worked with regional business and government leaders to form Choose DuPage, an alliance focused on business retention, expansion and attraction. The Choose DuPage Action Plan for Development will generate $2.6 billion in salary earnings and more than 25,000 jobs that, in turn, will produce another 21,000 service sector jobs and $1.4 billion more in consumer spending. 

Along with an advanced communications network through the DuPage Technology Park, development of NIU Proton Treatment and Research Center, and proximity to transportation and research centers, we will attract more technology-based businesses and biomedical research firms to the Park. It is the kind of match that creates a winning investment in DuPage County.

We are fortunate that for generations, the business community has worked with DuPage County government to build, protect and maintain a quality of life that makes our community one of the most desirable places to live in the United States.

DuPage County will continue to address the issues and challenges that face us with smart responses that protect taxpayers. To keep our strategic advantage in DuPage County, we must invest in its future. The return on that investment is that we expect to see robust economic development enhanced by efficient county government.

To examine the 2009 budget on the county’s web site visit:http://www.dupageco.org/finance/generic.cfm?doc_id=3767