County Board Chair Report Recommends Shared Billing, Improvements to Ethics and Credit Card Policy for Wheaton Sanitary District

DuPage County Board Chairman Dan Cronin has announced the county's most recent round of "stress tests" for the , Sheriff's Merit Commission and sanitary districts of Downers Grove, Highland Hills, Salt Creek and Wheaton.
 
“As we dig deeper into all of these agencies, the importance and the necessity of this entire exercise becomes clearer. These evaluations basically serve as a ‘stress test’ for each entity. The reports don’t just inform us about the current conditions of the agencies, but they also raise red flags identifying potential hazards that can be easily addressed now before drastic measures are required,” Cronin said in a statement Wednesday.

Cronin implemented the "stress test" last year, after financial crises at the Water Commission and the DuPage Housing Authority, according to a press release. Through state legislation, the DuPage County Board was was able to review the financial and operational structure of the independent agencies, which account for nearly $300 million in public funds, according to the release.

Cronin dismissed top staff and the board of directors at the DuPage Housing Authority after notification of "financial mismanagement."

According to the release, "New leadership was installed and moved expeditiously to overhaul the authority. The reform efforts included addressing compliance matters with HUD in addition to staff training focused on audit concerns and internal controls. The board also adopted new ethics, finance, travel, procurement and credit card policies."
 
While the DuPage Housing Authority was the catalyst of the agency assessments, Cronin said in the statement the County Sanitary Districts are key examples of why the stress tests are necessary. The report indicated that the four sanitary districts run the spectrum from being financially stable to approaching financial insolvency.
 
According to the release, the reports recommend these districts gain efficiencies by sharing services through information technology, human resources, utility billing and collection, health insurance, laboratory services, construction and procurement."

The following is the conclusion of the report in regard to the Wheaton Sanitary District, according to the release:

The Wheaton Sanitary District provides wastewater treatment for more than 18,000 properties located in Wheaton, Carol Stream, Glen Ellyn, Winfield, unincorporated areas of DuPage County, including the County complex. The district has maintained a “stable operation and has employed best practices to manage its operations and capital programs.” In addition, the district has explored a shared services option for utility billing with Wheaton that could potentially save $100,000 annually. It is recommended that the district implement the joint billing program with Wheaton. Other recommendations include improving its ethics and credit card policies.

The following is the conclusion of the report in regard to the Wheaton Sanitary District, according to the release:

The Sheriff’s Merit Commission manages the hiring, advancement and discipline of sheriff personnel. It is recommended the commission better coordinate human resources activities with the county’s Human Resources Department. Other recommendations include increasing accountability and transparency through regular communications with the public in addition to strengthening the ethics policy.

According to the release, Cronin plans to release final reports on the DuPage Airport Authority, DuPage Election Commission, the Emergency Telephone System Board (ETSB) and the fire protection districts of Fairview, Glenbard, Lisle-Woodridge, Naperville, North Westmont, Roselle, Warrenville, West Chicago and Yorkfield.
 
Following the release of all 24 reports, Cronin will submit his proposal to implement needed reforms that could include the consolidation of agencies in his mission to make government smarter and leaner.
 
“These stress tests will provide an invaluable public benefit moving forward. We have the chance to learn about potential problems before they become full-blown crises,” Cronin said.