Strong sales tax revenue pushed the projected DuPage County budget surplus well past the number first announced. Here is what the public record shows about where that money stands, and what the County Board did the last time a surplus was this large.
What the County Said in September 2025
On September 23, 2025, the county’s FY2026 budget page said it expected “at least $25 million” in surplus from the fiscal year then closing (FY2025 runs December 1 to November 30). It listed nine allocations that added up to exactly $25 million (DuPage County, Proposed FY2026 Budget). The same plan was covered in CitizenPortal.ai’s September 2025 report.
“At least” matters. It was a floor, not a forecast.
What Staff Projected in January 2026
On January 13, 2026, county finance staff briefed the Finance Committee. Their projection for the General Fund:
- Revenue: $270.9 million, against a $257.1 million budget
- Expenditures: $236.1 million
- Projected surplus: $34.7 million
- Sales tax: $157.3 million, against $138.0 million budgeted, a gain of $19.3 million
That is about $9.7 million, or 39%, above the $25 million floor. These were pre-audit projections, not final audited results (CitizenPortal.ai, Jan. 14, 2026). The audited FY2025 report is the document that settles the final number (DuPage County audited financial reports).
Where the First $25 Million Is Going
The committee gave consensus to a $25 million package. Based on the published line items, it works out roughly to:
- About $11 million in a Sustainability Initiative Fund, which includes $5M for down-payment assistance, $2.5M for Loaves & Fishes, $2.5M as a contingency for federal and state funding cuts, and $1M for fresh food
- $5M for campus flood and stormwater work
- $4M for Elmhurst Quarry repairs
- $3M for facilities projects
- $1M for Hinsdale Lake Terrace
- $1M for reserves
(This breakdown is my arithmetic from the published items, not a county table.)
On March 24, 2026, the Board approved three food-security resolutions: $2.5M to the Loaves & Fishes Hub 2.0 in Aurora, $2M to the Northern Illinois Food Bank, and $322K to the Conservation Foundation’s Farm to Pantry program (NCTV17, March 25, 2026). The April 14 appropriation step, in which Board members LaPlante and Eckhoff voted no, is covered by CitizenPortal.ai and here. These appear to fall within the original $25 million, not the extra amount.
Where the Extra $9.7 Million Stands
The committee deferred roughly $9.7 million for later discussion. As of October 6, 2026, I could not find a public record showing how it was allocated. That does not mean it was not allocated. It means I could not find it.
What the January meeting raised: written details on Loaves & Fishes, the Regional Office of Education building, tort-liability replenishment, and a property tax abatement, which staff said would need to be decided by March. Staff also noted that doing nothing would push the reserve ratio to about 61%, against a 25% policy goal (CitizenPortal.ai; policy goal per the county’s Budget & Financial Policies).
The FY2027 proposal released September 22, 2026 would use $5M of “2026 surplus funds” for rental assistance (Daily Herald, Sept. 23, 2026; DuPage County, FY2027 budget announcement). Whether that is the same money, I cannot confirm.
What the County Board Did in 2022 With a Surplus This Large
This is the precedent.
In 2022, the county projected a surplus of about $40 million for FY2022, driven by sales tax running $21.4 million (19.6%) above the original budget. Board Member Jim Zay proposed using part of it to cut property taxes. On October 25, 2022, the full Board approved a $5 million one-time property tax abatement, without discussion. The levy fell to $65.16 million, the lowest since 2006. For a median $365,000 home, the county’s portion of the bill dropped from about $193 to about $179, a saving of about $13.86, or 7% (Daily Herald, Oct. 26, 2022; CBS Chicago; NCTV17; ABC7).
Who was in charge: that vote happened under Chairman Dan Cronin, who led the Board from December 2010 until December 5, 2022. Deb Conroy was elected Chair on November 8, 2022, about two weeks after the vote, and took office December 5, roughly six weeks after it. She was a state representative at the time and did not vote (ABC7; Daily Herald, Dec. 6, 2022; DuPage County, Chair Conroy). Cronin’s own final budget in September 2022 had proposed a flat rate and spending the surplus on big-ticket items (Daily Herald, Sept. 28, 2022). The abatement came from a Board member’s proposal, not the Chair’s plan.
Two fairness points:
- The relief was small and one-time. $5M was about 12.5% of the projected $40M surplus, and the typical homeowner saved under $14.
- I found no abatement in the years since. The levy was $70.5M in FY2024, $71M in FY2025, $71.5M in FY2026, and the FY2027 proposal is $71.9M (DuPage County, FY2027 announcement; FY2026 adopted budget).
The county has also spent surpluses on real needs. The $18.9M FY2023 surplus funded jail cameras, HVAC replacement, and $1M for reserves, and the Finance Committee released $3.25M from the 2024 surplus in June 2025 (CitizenPortal.ai, June 2025).
Why the DuPage County Budget Surplus Matters to Taxpayers
This is about visibility, not mismanagement. The county is in strong financial shape, and the decisions I could trace were made in public meetings. But a resident who wants to know what happened to a $34.7 million projection has to piece it together from committee videos, third-party meeting summaries, and a budget page that shows the September number. Taxpayers produced that sales tax revenue. They should be able to follow it.
What I’ll Push For
- A public surplus tracker. Projected vs. final surplus, and each allocation with its status, on one page.
- A surplus rule before the surplus exists. A set policy on how much goes to reserves, one-time needs, and taxpayer relief.
- Taxpayer relief on the table every time. The 2022 abatement shows the Board can do it. It should be considered, voted on, and explained each year.
- Contingent plans. Sales tax can swing $19 million in a year. Plans should say what happens if it swings the other way.
Sources
County documents
- Proposed FY2026 Budget
- FY2026 Budget Approved
- Chair Conroy Presents FY2027 Budget
- FY2025 Budget Proposal
- FY2024 Budget Passed
- Chair Conroy
- Audited Financial Reports
- Budget & Financial Policies
Meeting coverage, 2024 to 2026 (CitizenPortal.ai is third-party, AI-summarized coverage; verify against county records at dupage.legistar.com)
- Jan. 14, 2026: $34.7M projection and $25M consensus
- Sept. 2025: FY2026 proposal
- April 2026: sustainability fund and Loaves & Fishes
- April 2026: appropriation split
- June 2025: 2024 surplus
- Sept. 9, 2026: Regional Office of Education
- NCTV17: $4.8M for food insecurity
- Daily Herald: FY2027 proposal
2022 abatement and leadership transition
- Daily Herald: Board approves $5M levy reduction
- Daily Herald: Cronin’s final budget
- CBS Chicago: one-time $5M abatement
- NCTV17: county will abate $5M
- ABC7: property tax lookup
- ABC7: Conroy elected Chair
- Daily Herald: Conroy sworn in
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