The DuPage County Finance Committee on Nov. 25 declined to approve a $268,151 supplemental appropriations request from the county clerk after an extended and sometimes contentious public discussion about the clerk's budget submission and whether required materials had been provided.

Chair introduced the appropriation request (FIR 0203) and said the amount was the same figure previously presented. Deputy Clerk Johnson defended the clerk's submission, saying the clerk had submitted a budget request through the county's OpenGov software and provided follow-up materials. "The budget that was received that we were referring to was incomplete, inaccurate [and] did not include the correct forms," a finance staff member said, explaining that finance recreated the clerk's budget and deemed the earlier submission inadequate for public review.

Members pressed for numbers and process. Several said they had received a late-night email from the clerk's office and criticized the timing and lack of prior collaboration with finance staff. "We were here asking questions and suggesting the deputy clerk and the clerk meet with our wonderful finance staff," Vice Chair Cahill said, urging pre-meeting coordination. Member Ozark said the clerk's request was bold given available payroll-line transfers and argued that the board had a duty to hold elected offices to the same budgeting standards as departments.

Finance staff described how COLA (cost-of-living adjustment) transfers can be applied to the elections division and said the department "stands behind" its numbers. Jeff Martinowitz of finance said the elections division was over budget on salaries and that the finance team's analysis identified roughly $63,000 that could be considered via COLA mechanics; the finance team also provided an updated estimate that, if clerk office transfers were made, the needed additional appropriation could be substantially less than originally requested.

After repeated rounds of questions and accusations about transparency, a member moved to call the vote and end debate. The committee took a roll call on that motion; the motion to end debate failed on a 15–1 roll call. The chair then urged the clerk and deputy to meet with finance staff and invited the clerk to return in December with a clearer, balanced projection.

The committee did not approve the supplemental appropriation on Nov. 25; members said the next step is a collaborative review with finance staff and a return to the committee with corrected or reduced figures. The meeting moved on to other agenda items.