DuPage County Board censures clerk for ongoing financial problems
The DuPage County Council voted this week to censure DuPage County Clerk Jean Kaczmarek for repeatedly refusing to comply with the accounting system established by the council and obstructing legal financial oversight, council members said.
Board member Cindy Cronin Cahill, who sponsored the resolution at Tuesday’s board meeting, said in a news release that board members did not take this action lightly.
“We introduced this censure because Jean Kaczmarek’s continued refusal to follow basic financial rules and cooperate with oversight has put taxpayer dollars at risk,” Cronin Cahill said. “The county council has a responsibility, on behalf of ratepayers, to stand up and speak out against this unacceptable behavior.”
The board approved the resolution by a vote of 15 to 1. Assemblywoman Dawn DeSart voted against, Assemblywoman Michael Childress abstained and Assemblywoman Melissa Martinez was absent.
“Clerk Jean Kaczmarek places personal stubbornness above public duty, and her continued conduct reflects not a single mistake, but a continuing pattern of negligence, defiance, and poor judgment that has wasted taxpayer dollars, damaged the county’s reputation, and undermined public confidence in county government,” the resolution reads.
According to the board’s press release, the clerk failed to follow the county’s accounting principles. Many of the purchases it has made are missing critical financial documents such as contracts or invoices, according to board members. This led to delays in supplier payments.
The county filed a lawsuit against Kaczmarek, resulting in nearly $200,000 in legal fees, the commission said.
Council members are also concerned that the clerk has increased her office’s salaries by more than 40 percent over the past five years.
Kaczmarek has consistently refused to meet with county finance staff to discuss his office’s finances, his office has a significant deficit in the fiscal year 2025 budget, and the clerk refuses to make budget transfers to ensure vendors can be paid, the release said.
The clerk’s office is under investigation by the Illinois Attorney General’s Office for failing to solicit bids for contracts, according to county documents.
Michelle Mullins is a freelance reporter for the Naperville Sun.
