Public commenters tell DuPage County Board to rethink pay increases and to act on due-process resolution

Two public commenters used the board's public-comment period to press DuPage County officials on separate but civic-focused concerns: one criticized recent elected-official pay increases, and another said the county has not followed through on a due-process resolution for immigrant residents.

Maria Sinkule told the board that governance "is rooted in the idea that public service is a responsibility, not a windfall" and said DuPage is adopting pay scales beyond neighboring counties without the same population or full-time duties. She asked the board to consider proportionality, transparency and fairness for full‑time staff who she said have not seen comparable compensation increases.

Another commenter, identified in the meeting as Jesse Guterres, urged the county to move beyond a symbolic resolution supporting due process and pursue concrete policies. He contrasted DuPage County's inaction since passing the resolution with Naperville's local ordinance discussion, saying Naperville is "having the conversation" and taking action while DuPage has largely remained on the sidelines.

Why it matters: Citizen remarks put public pressure on elected officials to explain and justify pay decisions and to clarify what, if any, operational policies will follow from prior resolutions. The comments raised questions about priority-setting, transparency and whether county action matches prior statements of support for immigrant community protections.

Sinkule: "When we compare DuPage to our neighbors in Kane and Will counties, we see a troubling trend. Our compensation is already higher..." Guterres: "The resolution acknowledged concerns from residents and recognized that fear and uncertainty were spreading throughout immigrant communities here in DuPage County. But since that vote, there has been very little meaningful follow through."

Board members did not adopt policy changes during the public-comment period; the board proceeded to committee reports and consent items. The comments were recorded for the minutes and included in the public record per board policy.