DuPage County recorder outlines 2026 budget: projects $6.5 million revenue, asks $1.8 million from general fund; board members press on personnel and fund moves

Recorder Liz Chaplin presented the DuPage County Recorder’s 2026 budget to the county board on June 1, saying the office projects approximately $6.5 million in revenue for the county general fund while requesting about $1.8 million in appropriations — a net positive of roughly $4.7 million for the county, Chaplin said.

“My office isn’t just running well. We’re giving back more money than we take,” Recorder Liz Chaplin told the board, outlining goals to increase e‑recording, digitize archival materials and preserve records with fire‑ and water‑resistant bindings. Chaplin said the office is phasing out microfilm, implementing watermarking for documents on the public portal, expanding a property‑fraud alert program (which she reported has more than 13,126 members), and continuing community outreach events and veteran‑focused services.

Chaplin said the recorder’s office intends to add the ability for single e‑recordings without a subscription, introduce e‑certified documents with federal certification, and pursue digitization and indexing projects that reach back to the county’s earliest records. She told the board the office has retained staff through a transition and increased…