DuPage County finance committee opens FY2026 budget process, members press for budgets based on prior-year actuals

DuPage County Finance Committee Chairwoman Garcia opened the committee’s May 13 meeting by announcing the start of the fiscal year 2026 budget kickoff and reminding departments that FY2026 budgets are due June 27.

Committee members said the county should require elected officials and department heads to base FY2026 requests on recent actual expenditures rather than prior-year budgets. Member Galassi asked whether that guidance was written into the budget instructions, and finance staffer Jeff confirmed it is: “We do request, that departments look at where they've landed, if you will, on the actuals for, at least, the last 3 years,” Jeff said, adding that the county provides departments the underlying data to prepare budgets.

The committee approved the formal budget preparation instructions (item 19825-1244), the FY2026 budget calendar (FIR0082-25) and the county financial budget policies for FY2026 (FIR0083-25). Member Cahill moved the calendar and related resolutions; the motions carried on voice votes. The committee also agreed to require that departments present budget requests in person during committee hearings so board members can question line items directly.

Members repeatedly raised concerns about large year-end surpluses and how they have been used. Member Ekoff (identified in the meeting by last name) said several countywide elected officials had given raises without seeking board approval and argued raises “should come through the county board and not through staff alone.” Member Cahill named the county clerk’s office specifically and said, “If she does not do that, I believe I will be voting no on her budget,” referring to the county clerk’s expected budget presentation.

Committee members asked finance staff to make monthly actuals easy to find during the budget review. Jeff said OpenGov is updated daily and that, once April is closed, departments should be able to provide actuals through the prior month for committee review. Member Evans asked whether the board’s budget presentation to the full County Board would change; Jeff said reports will be standardized so each presentation shows budget-to-actual comparisons and trends.

Why it matters: the committee’s instructions and the policies it approved set the ground rules for how departmental budgets are prepared and reviewed. Members said tighter, actuals‑based budgets are intended to reduce recurring year‑end surpluses that they view as obscuring the county’s true operating needs.

The finance chair and vice chair said they will work with the county board chair and finance staff to enforce the presentation expectations and to provide a consistent set of reports to all committees before department hearings. The committee did not adopt a mandatory percentage cut across the board at this meeting; staff said reductions would be considered after all budgets are submitted and revenues are projected.

The committee’s actions on the calendar and budget policies were procedural approvals; the meeting record shows the motions carried on voice votes. The committee moved next to routine procurement and budget-transfer items after completing the budget-policy votes.