Legislation approved by the Illinois General Assembly this week should end the months-long stalemate between the DuPage County clerk and the DuPage County Board over competitive bidding and bill payment procedures.
The amendment clarifies language in the existing law regarding when contract bids are required and how payments are to be submitted for payment by county officials, DuPage County Board Chair Deborah Conroy told the board at its meeting Tuesday.
It’s hoped that what, on the surface, looks like a mundane clerical adjustment will resolve the ongoing dispute between county officials and Clerk Jean Kaczmarek, who has rejected board requests that she answer questions related to contracts she approved without seeking bids.
The legislative changes apply to elected all county officials, including those with internal control of their offices, Conroy said.
Since April, Kaczmarek has refused to discuss the bills she’s submitted for payment, saying the county board had no authority to demand that she answer questions about expenses incurred by her office because she is an independent elected official.
“It is my hope that this measure leaves no doubt as to the intent of the General Assembly and the laws that govern the operations of elected officials offices,” Conroy said.
In addition to bills submitted for purchases made without competitive bidding, other invoices have been flagged by the county auditor’s office for not having the proper authorization from either Kaczmarek or Chief Deputy County Clerk Adam Johnson.
Earlier this month the DuPage County State’s Attorney’s Office announced it was drafting a civil complaint against the clerk’s office over the situation. Only a week earlier, Kaczmarek threatened to take legal action against the county if the invoices her offices submitted were not paid.
So far, no legal action has been taken by either side. It’s not clear whether the legislation, waiting for the governor’s approval, will affect either’s position on the current situation. If approved, it would not go into effect until Jan. 1.
Johnson, speaking in an interview May 15, said the clerk’s office has been receiving conflicting information from various county officials.
“One day they say that the invoice doesn’t have appropriate detail on it (despite it being) the exact same level of detail as previous invoices from that same vendor that we submitted and have paid with no issue,” he said.
According to Johnson, the county board has moved the goalpost on clerk’s office and its way of operating when “they don’t have the authority to set the goalpost in the first place.”
“I have never viewed this issue with the clerk’s office as a dispute,” Conroy said. “The way I see it in DuPage County is we value transparency, we are guided by the principle of fiscal responsibility.
“I ask and expect the clerk and her staff to adhere to the statutes and work productively on behalf of the residents of DuPage County, and now we can get back to the work of the people,” she said.
Kaczmarek was not available for comment.
George Wiebe is a reporter for Pioneer Press.
