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Chicago Tribune
09-05-2025
- Politics
- Chicago Tribune
Column: Kane County Hispanic trailblazer, activist honored at Aurora event
It's clear within minutes of talking to Mary Margaret Rodriguez Decker that she may be 80 years old with more than her share of health issues, but this history-making politician and civil rights activist still has plenty of fight in her. 'I've had a lot of illness … I'm supposed to be in a hospital bed,' she told me on Monday, the morning after the Aurora Hispanic Historical and Cultural Foundation honored her at a presentation and reception at Casa Santa Maria on East Downer Place in downtown Aurora. 'But I'm a hustler. I've always been a rebel. It just comes natural to me. I know what's right and what is wrong.' After a couple minutes of reflection, Decker added, 'I guess I'm also a history-maker.' As the first elected Hispanic member of the Kane County Board – and two years before Cook County appointed Irene C. Hernandez as its first Hispanic county official – she is indeed a trailblazer. Born in 1944 near the Mexican border in Crystal City, Texas, Decker came to Aurora at age 8, not speaking a word of English and a year after the arrival of her parents, who were founders of the Aurora Latin American Club and helped new immigrants settle into the suburbs. So it's no surprise that the young Mary Margaret Rodriguez would follow a similar path as a teenager, helping new arrivals get Social Security cards or jobs, not realizing at the time, she admitted to me with absolutely no guilt, that some of what she was doing was illegal. After serving two years in the Army as a medical corpsman, she and new husband Stanley Decker – they met in the military – began raising their two children in Aurora. And Mary Margaret developed a highly successful career as the second Hispanic real estate agent and broker in the city, under the tutelage of Mary Lou Chapa. In 1972, upset with the way local leaders were paying little or no attention to the Hispanic residents of their community, 28-year-old Decker decided to run for the Kane County Board. Although there were three other Hispanics vying for the same spot, the mother of two young children counted on her light skin and Anglo surname to give her an edge in the race that, as both she and Aurora Hispanic Historical and Cultural Foundation President Alejandro Benavides insist, took place when racism was prevalent. 'Otherwise I never would have been elected,' Decker told me, pointing out a quote she gave to The Beacon-News soon after her victory that claimed the election results were 'indicative of an ingrained prejudice. I with an Anglicized name, won, while Mr. Martinez and Mr. Plata lost.' Decker proudly notes she's never been afraid to say what is on her mind, which served her well on the Kane County Board as she continued to speak out on behalf of the Hispanic community. For example, Decker pushed for bilingual interpreters at government buildings and in schools. And she advocated for improved corrections and rehabilitation facilities. During her tenure, ground was broken on the new Kane County Adult Correction Facility that replaced the 100-year-old county jail. Decker was also the first chair of the Aurora Latin American Citizens Committee, which focused on assisting Spanish-speaking people with problems concerning city and county affairs. That group was created after the 1973 mass arrest of local Hispanics at the Hi-Lite 30 movie theater by U.S. Immigration agents, who had learned that the Montgomery drive-in had become a gathering place for Aurora's growing Mexican population on Sundays because it showed Spanish-speaking movies. According to news accounts, many were roughed up, and more than 80 were arrested or deported. Decker, who admits even today she's 'not afraid of anyone or anything,' led rallies attended by hundreds of protestors demanding justice, which garnered media attention from across the Chicago area. Among the 50 or so invitation-only guests at Sunday afternoon's reception was Juanita Wells, who recalled her eye-witness account of the event at the drive-in theater. 'I happened to be driving by. It was sad. Children were everywhere … it is similar to what we are seeing today,' Wells remembered, referring to the controversial ICE raids under the current White House administration Benavides, a historical researcher and social activist with a doctorate in education leadership, says it was that drive-in raid – another occurred in 1997 with 62 arrests at the Aurora Dry Cleaners – when political activism in the area 'began to rise.' As Hispanics became more empowered, they began to confront government officials, making more demands, including for economic opportunities, he added. People like Decker, he told me, are the epitome of 'historical resilience,' a term used to describe the ability of a group to withstand, challenge and demonstrate perseverance in the face of oppression. According to Benavides, the Aurora Hispanic Historical and Cultural Foundation was founded last year after 'much encouragement from people' following the ribbon-cutting ceremony honoring the landmark status of the C.B.&Q. West Eola Mexican boxcar camp and Austin-Western Historical Immigrant Working-class Neighborhood. After his book 'Olivia: Boxcar-Camp Girl & Visionary of La Hispanidad' was published last year, he told me, more people suggested the creation of a Hispanic historical organization to focus on preserving and educating the community. The story of Margaret was the foundation's first event and was held last weekend in conjunction with the Mexican holiday Cinco de Mayo, a symbol of Mexican pride and identity. 'Margaret's story is not over yet,' declared Benavides, referring to his colleague Antonio Ramirez, history professor at Elgin Community College who compiled the 'Chicagolandia Oral History Project' with his students, and in doing so, stumbled across Decker's story that he writes makes her 'likely the first Latinx person to be elected to prominent office in Illinois.' His project, according to Benavides, will be part of an exhibit, 'Aqui en Chicago,' beginning Oct. 26 at the Chicago History Museum. 'I'm still on cloud nine' after receiving so much attention, said Decker, who stepped down after two years on the Kane County Board because of health-related mobility issues that made it hard for her to access the government building, which at the time was not handicap-accessible. Now relying on a motorized scooter to get around in Crystal City, where she's lived for the last 50 years, Decker told me she was determined to attend last weekend's reception, even if it meant 'coming here in my hospital bed.' 'My legs are weak. I can't do anything about it,' she said. 'My body is gone but not my mind.' Decker seems genuinely humbled by all the attention she's received as of late. But she also realizes that her story, her legacy, is important – particularly for young people who she views as critical in continuing the work local trailblazers began. As Ramirez noted in his history studies, the Latino population, which has grown significantly, particularly in Kane County, is still vastly underrepresented in elected offices in Chicago's suburbs and across the state, and that, just like in Decker's time, their 'voices struggle to be heard.' Indeed, at the reception a passionate Cynthia Martinez, eighth-grade history teacher at Fred Rodgers Magnet Academy in Aurora and the 2024 Kane County Educator of the Year, lamented the low turnout of Aurora Hispanic voters in elections, which led to a discussion on what can be done to get more involvement. Decker, who was brought to tears at this presentation, had a short but critical piece of advice for the impressive number of young people who came to see and meet the rebel lovingly known as 'Magucha.' 'I did my part,' she said. 'Now it is up to you.'
Chicago Tribune
06-05-2025
- Business
- Chicago Tribune
Attrition program, cost-cutting measures debated as Kane County Board grapples with impending budget shortfall
Discussions are ramping up among Kane County Board members about how to solve the county's impending budget shortfall, as the county grapples with a failed sales tax referendum, the expiration of its COVID-19 relief funding and a county reserve fund being rapidly depleted as it's used to plug holes in the county budget each year. At a special Finance Committee meeting last week, board members floated suggestions for cost-cutting measures as the county approaches having to dip into its required 90-day reserve funds, and returned again to the idea of a county-wide hiring freeze. 'We have not done our jobs,' Kane County Board member Leslie Juby said at Thursday's meeting about the board's impending budget crisis. County officials have been sounding the alarm on looming budget problems for more than a year, warning of an impending shortfall as other options were used up or made unavailable, according to past reporting. In recent years, the county had been using federal pandemic relief money for both capital projects and paying for salaries and benefits, but all of that funding had to be allocated by the end of 2024. COVID-19 money enabled the county to build up its reserve funds, but those too have been spent down to balance the budget each year since 2023, according to past reporting. The county is on pace to dip below the required 90-day reserves in 2027 if revenue and spending remains level, county officials have said. One solution was an additional revenue stream, most notably a proposed 0.75% sales tax touted by some as a viable solution to the budget gap. But, in April, voters overwhelmingly shot down the measure. County officials have previously noted that Kane County had been delaying the start of its budgeting process to wait for the results of the referendum. But now, with the failed sales tax referendum and limited revenue options, the county is facing tough choices and weighing cost-cutting options over the next few months. The board must approve a budget by Dec. 1, the first day of the county's new fiscal year. One solution that has been on the table for the board is an employee attrition program. In March, it was proposed to the Kane County Board Finance Committee as a hiring freeze for county departments, as well as establishing an evaluation panel to determine on a case-by-case basis how to accommodate vacancies that arise in the county without directly hiring employees. The county's executive director of human resources Jamie Lobrillo noted at the March meeting that the county is already under a sort of hiring freeze, but the current policy has no uniform process across departments for evaluating vacancies and approving hires when needed. A key part of the proposal is establishing an evaluation panel — made up of the executive directors of the county's finance and human resources departments, the county board's vice chair and another board member — who would determine how a vacancy can be remedied and when a new hire is necessary. 'I think the idea of never replacing any positions isn't realistic,' Lobrillo told the board's Finance Committee in March. 'We have business we have to … get done.' The proposed resolution generated concern among Finance Committee members. Juby, for example, said the proposed plan's evaluation panel effectively puts finance and human resource department heads over other department heads in the county. Board member Verner Tepe and County Board Chair Corinne Pierog said evaluating hiring should be a board process. The Finance Committee ultimately voted to send the resolution to the Human Services Committee, which discussed it at its April 9 meeting. The resolution pitched to the Human Services Committee in April also included a voluntary separation incentive plan for county employees willing to resign. The make-up of the proposed evaluation panel again led to pushback from the board. In addition to the employee attrition program, board members at last week's special meeting began floating other ideas to reduce costs. Juby, for example, suggested fixes like transferring expenses to special funds to free up other money, ensuring the county purchases commodities at the most affordable price and considering fee increases in the county. Tepe said the county could reallocate Regional Transportation Authority funds and replace them via increasing the county's gas tax, or make reductions in IT and maintenance. He also noted that the majority of the county's general fund goes toward public safety, the leaders of which have staff of their own responsible for budgeting. 'We should be sitting with them at this table,' Tepe noted. Board member Bill Roth suggested fixes and policies ranging from reducing items in storage to outsourcing services like payroll. He also noted procedural changes like more thorough grant reporting and the idea of departments forming five-year budgets. Pierog also noted grant accountability to ensure that general funds don't end up paying for programs and services after the grant money for them expires. On Thursday, Bates suggested the idea of cuts to services and programs occurring over a three-year period so that the effects are felt by the county less intensely. Not all board members agreed. Board member Ted Penesis suggested the board aim to cut what needs to be cut — which Pierog said Thursday was in the range of $25 million to $29 million — in next year's budget. 'We have a statute that we have to balance our budget for (2026),' board member Bill Lenert said. 'So it's not an option to phase in,' he said, saying that using reserves to phase cuts in over multiple years is pushing the problem down the road. The county's potential attrition program is set to be discussed at a future committee meeting later this month.
Chicago Tribune
12-03-2025
- Business
- Chicago Tribune
Kane County Board approves reallocation of federal pandemic relief funding, as deadline to spend it nears
The Kane County Board on Tuesday voted to approve just under $500,000 in 'reprogramming' federal pandemic relief funding to various county projects in advance of a spending deadline in 2026. In 2021, the American Rescue Plan Act, commonly called ARPA, authorized the Coronavirus State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds, which delivered $350 billion to state, territorial, local and Tribal governments, according to the United States Treasury Department. The funds were intended to help these government entities and their residents recover from the effects of the pandemic, and could be used to respond to public health and economic impacts of the pandemic, invest in water and broadband internet infrastructure, provide 'premium pay' for essential workers and more. Kane County received just over $100 million in total, and used the money over the past few years on COVID-19 contact tracing, grants for area nonprofit organizations, public safety projects, payroll reimbursements and infrastructure projects and expenses. In July, the county issued its 2024 report with updates on the county's use of these funds. Local entities nationwide had until the end of 2024 to allocate the ARPA funds they received, according to the Treasury Department. The funds can be spent through the end of 2026, but can only go toward projects or services authorized before Dec. 31, 2024. Tuesday's board approval means some of the funds set to expire next year in Kane County will be transferred from one ARPA-funded project to another. Several of the reallocations were voted on at the county's Executive Committee meeting last week and were then passed unanimously during Tuesday's County Board meeting, but three of the larger sums of money were passed Tuesday in split votes. The resolutions which passed with split votes include three separate reallocations from the Kane County Circuit Clerk's microfilm archiving project, which set out to digitize court records to improve remote access, with the money going to a kitchen and laundry area improvement project at the Kane County Justice Center for just over $300,000, the county's administrative cost projection project in the amount of $120,000 and a technology improvement project at the 16th Judicial Circuit Court for roughly $17,500. The reallocations passed unanimously as part of Tuesday's consent agenda at the meeting included, for example, reprogramming funds between several ARPA projects in the Kane County Environmental and Water Resources department, and a transfer of just under $10,000 to a pipe improvement project at the Kane County jail from the Kane County 16th Judicial Circuit Court Services' Probation Victim Services and Alliance Against Intoxicated Motorists projects. In all, just under $500,000 in ARPA funding was reprogrammed to various projects on Tuesday, according to figures from the meeting agenda. At Tuesday's board meeting, District 14 County Board member Jon Gripe said he was voting against the reallocations of funding because he thought that other board members and county entities outside the county's ARPA Committee – such as the Circuit Clerk's Office – were not sufficiently involved in the discussion of these measures. 'The people that the money is being removed from, if that's the case, need to be involved before the day of the meeting where we vote on this,' Gripe said on Tuesday. Going forward, the County Board could authorize similar reprogramming of ARPA funding before the 2026 deadline to spend the money, a county spokesperson said. But these reallocations of ARPA funding and future ones cannot go toward new projects, only those authorized before Dec. 31, 2024. In the years since the county began receiving the federal pandemic funding, it has pursued a variety of programs and capital projects. It gave out $755,000 in grants to food-growing businesses and organizations, with a focus on small farms and those addressing food insecurity, funded HVAC replacements in the county's jail and sheriff's office and proposed the construction of a new public health building, although the latter plan ultimately was shot down by the board. But, with no more funds to allocate and a limited amount of time to spend what's left, the county continues to face financial challenges as it anticipates using up its reserve funds by 2027 or 2028 if revenue or expenses don't change before then. The board has previously said that pandemic-era funds were used to pay for some salaries in the county, as well as other programs and projects. The board has been holding town halls about its sales tax referendum on the April 1 ballot, which has been touted as a possible solution to the county's future budget woes.
Chicago Tribune
05-03-2025
- Business
- Chicago Tribune
Kane County Board holds town hall meeting on sales tax referendum in advance of April vote
On Monday, the Kane County Board hosted an in-person town hall meeting in Aurora to answer questions about the sales tax referendum question being put to voters in the county on April 1. Next month, Kane County voters will be asked whether they support a 0.75% sales tax increase meant to boost funding for the county's public safety services. The town hall was held at the Santori Public Library in downtown Aurora, and offered residents a chance to learn and ask questions about the referendum in advance of next month's election. District 4 Kane County Board member Mavis Bates gave a presentation at Monday's town hall, emphasizing the public safety services the funds generated by the referendum would be earmarked for, per state law. The majority of the county's funds already go toward public safety costs, Bates said on Monday. 'That's our main job, as it should be,' she said Monday. The presentation also highlighted some of the public safety services that would be funded in part by the referendum, such as prosecuting child pornography cases, veterans suicide prevention support programs and opioid abuse prevention services. Bates also noted that some of the funds generated by a successful referendum would go toward upgrading aging public safety facilities. A sales tax increase of 0.75% means buyers would pay 75 cents more in tax on every $100 they spend on items covered by the tax in Kane County. The county has said there are exemptions for essential items like groceries and prescription medications, which Bates noted are determined by Illinois tax law. Bates said the referendum proposes a sales tax, rather than a property tax, so as to share costs with visitors to Kane County and because homeowners already contribute 'their fair share.' 'We've been working on a flat budget,' Bates said Monday, noting that the county has not seen a property tax increase – aside from increases for new construction – in more than a decade. 'Imagine if your family had had no raises, your Social Security checks had had no cost of living increases. … Our belt just keeps getting tighter and tighter and tighter.' Bates said the sales tax offers another revenue option besides a property tax increase. Separate from the proposed sales tax measure, the county board's approved 2025 budget does include a $2 million property tax levy increase, the first hike in the levy since 2013 except increases to account for new construction, according to past reporting. The property tax levy increase, excluding an increase for new construction, was proposed for 3.4% to match the Consumer Price Index, a measure of inflation set by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. While the sales tax referendum only addresses public safety expenses, Kane County Finance Director Kathleen Hopkinson has previously said that the referendum would have a spillover effect, freeing up some of the funds going toward public safety already to other departments and offices. According to the county, services that would receive revenue from the successful passage of the referendum question include the offices of the sheriff, state's attorney, public defender, coroner and circuit clerk; KaneComm 911; Public Health and the Office of Emergency Management. The proposed 0.75% sales tax hike is expected to generate upwards of $50 million annually, Hopkinson previously said. If voters don't approve the referendum question, the county would have to dip into its 90-day reserve funds to balance the 2026 budget, according to past reporting, provided spending remains about the same as 2025. That would leave the county with only about $8 million above the required 90-day reserves, Hopkinson has said. A sales tax referendum has been top of mind for the county board for months, touted by some as a possible solution to the county's cash flow problems. The county has been dipping into its cash reserves to balance its budget, which officials have previously said will be used up by 2027 or 2028 if spending or revenue doesn't change. For example, the county's proposed $416.6 million budget for 2025 uses $29.3 million in reserves from its general fund, not including millions in cuts proposed by the Kane County Board Finance Committee. The referendum wouldn't help balance the county budget until 2026, however, Hopkinson previously said. In September, the Kane County Board approved putting the sales tax referendum question on the April 1 ballot. In opposition to Bates' presentation, that was largely in support of the referendum's role in advancing public safety programs and infrastructure, public comments at Monday's town hall came in sharply against the measure over the cost to residents – including some pushback from within the county government. Kane County Treasurer Chris Lauzen asked Bates a series of questions about the sales tax increase's expected collection, how much the county receives in general fund revenue and other finance questions, criticizing the county's spending and board members' not furnishing some figures about the budget at Monday's meeting. Cheryl Dennin, a resident of the county, asked why the county's annual budget had increased significantly between 2020 and 2024. According to county records, the 2020 budget's general fund expenditures increased from nearly $88 million to just over $92 million from 2019 to 2020. In 2023, that number reached just over $123 million, and went down to around $122 million in 2024. Bates said that lower operating costs for the county during the COVID-19 pandemic were an 'anomaly' due to the influx of federal pandemic funds, and said that federal money the county no longer has was used to pay for some staff salaries during that time, though Dennin suggested that salaries alone were not enough to explain the increase in spending over the past few years. 'In order to retain the best of the best, we need to provide a good incentive to them,' District 6 Kane County Board member Sonia Garcia said on Monday about the need for salary increases to remain competitive with neighboring counties. Kane County Board Chair Corinne Pierog also noted that infrastructure repairs were also increasing expenses – replacing air conditioners at the Kane County Judicial Center and elevators at the courthouse, for example. Brian Anderson, a resident of Sugar Grove, also criticized the county's hiring of a lobbyist, which board members said was hired to help the county save money in the long run. After some back-and-forth, Bates ultimately called the meeting. This town hall was the fourth hosted by the county about the referendum. They will be holding three more in-person meetings for residents to ask questions and offer feedback on the referendum: at the St. Charles Public Library at 5:30 p.m. on March 6, at the Geneva Library at 5:30 p.m. on March 10 and at the Sugar Grove Public Library at 5 p.m. on March 25.
Chicago Tribune
14-02-2025
- Business
- Chicago Tribune
Letters to the Editor: Say ‘no more' Kane tax hikes — reject referendum; don't believe everything artificial intelligence tells you
Say 'no more' Kane tax hikes — reject referendum Taxpayers are government's 'bankers of last resort.' When politicians overspend and overtax in fiscally irresponsible ways, they rely on us to pay for it and it's ultimately up to us taxpayers to say 'no more.' According to audited financial statements filed with the Illinois State Comptroller's Office, Kane County Board's ruling Democrat super-majority and its chairman have increased government spending by 88% in just four years, nearly doubling general fund spending from $66 million in 2020 to $124 million in 2024. Now their so-called 'solution' is to ask you, the taxpayers, for an increase in sales tax applied to your taxable purchases to generate a staggering $51 million in new money annually. If the referendum passes, inflation (due to this mandatory tax) will increase. No doubt the folks who want to reach more deeply into your pockets will make the typical disingenuous 'de minimis' argument … it's only a $150 increase on $20,000 of annual sales taxable purchases for the typical Kane County family, including gas, diapers, hardware store supplies, etc. This is what's called 'death by a thousand cuts.' This sales tax increase is on top of the board recently raising the county-portion of your property tax bills for the first time in 12 years — only two weeks after they were reelected in November 2024. If passed, this referendum will increase taxes and reward politicians who have massively increased spending in only four years. My family will be voting 'no.' Chris Lauzen, Aurora Don't believe everything artificial intelligence tells you My computer updated itself recently when I wasn't looking and added artificial intelligence to my options when I do a search. I can honestly say it's a truly amazing entity. I can ask it virtually anything and within seconds I get a response. It's like having a conversation with Sheldon from 'The Big Bang Theory' TV show, without the condescension. Today I asked it for the average height of an American female and it quickly responded: 5-foot-4. I then proceeded to inquire about the average height of an American male and it said 5-foot-9. Finally, I asked for the average waist size of an American male and the answer was surprisingly 34 inches. Of course, that was something I wasn't expecting and didn't particularly want to hear. So, I asked it for the average waist size of a male over 65 and at last I got the response I was expecting: 40 inches. Bingo. Sometimes patience is required when talking to a genius. I guess the moral of the story is to be careful with the questions one poses to a higher intelligence. For one thing you may not be happy with the answer, and they just might be dead wrong. For instance, I asked AI for my background as I like to write letters to the editor to fill my idle time and consequently there is a trail of written words with my signature. The response I got back was anything but accurate. AI suggested I was a professor of comparative religion as well as a staff writer for a big city newspaper. Neither of which was even close to being true. It can only be assumed that in the future artificial intelligence will prove to be both a blessing and a curse. On one hand it's expected to make our lives much easier and might even cure cancer. But on the other, it can cause more trouble than it's worth if we are led to believe it's infallible. As we all know, that distinction is reserved exclusively for the pope and Donald Trump. Bob Ory, Elgin
