Oct. 30--The state budget impasse has DuPage County departments working to tighten their spending belts for 2016 -- except for the sheriff's department, county officials said.
Sheriff John Zaruba asked the county to increase his department's $40.4 million budget by more than a million dollars to fund body cameras for his deputies and new squad cars, but failed to meet with Finance Committee members to justify the expenses, County Board Chairman Dan Cronin said.
And Tuesday, when the Finance Committee approved the county's fiscal 2016 budget without the requested increases, the sheriff wasn't around.
Committee members were already hesitant to funnel more money into the county's largest department with such uncertainty in Springfield, and said their decision to deny Zaruba the extra funding was because he did not show up to meetings or respond to communication requests.
"Everyone else comes in, and we sit down, collaborate, review the numbers, share ideas and come up with an agreed budget," Cronin said. "But he doesn't come to work. He doesn't show up to meetings. He doesn't return calls. He is incapable of performing the actions of his office."
Zaruba did not return calls for comment.
Cronin added that several departments, including the treasurer's office and the Convalescent Center, took significant cuts to their budgets to cope with the state budget impasse. Cronin estimates the lack of action at the state level could cost the county between $8 million and $10 million.
But even with the cuts, Cronin said he was open to having a discussion with Zaruba about increasing his budget for additions like the body cameras. Cronin estimates they could cost as much as $4 million with the addition of video storage equipment.
The problem, Cronin said, was that Zaruba wasn't willing.
"If he needs a million dollars, let's talk about it. What do experts in the field say (about body cameras)? Has it been an issue out in the field?" Cronin asked. "There's a federal grant program that we can secure money with. Will he join us as we seek to get that grant money?"
"But I'm not going to blindly put $3 (million) or $4 million in the budget without a conversation with the guy. It's insanity," he added.
The county's $443.8 million proposed budget, as it stands, does increase the sheriff department's yearly spending from about $40.4 million to $40.8 million, according to county documents. The increase is to compensate for raises because of union contracts, said Paul Fichtner, Finance Committee chairman.
The proposed budget also calls for a reduction in sheriff department staff, from 530 to 520. Cronin said the reduction is much smaller than it appears, though, as the department has operated throughout the year with 521 employees.
One of Zaruba's few contributions to the budget process came in the form of a strongly-worded letter to Cronin, dated Sept. 18. In the letter, he said the staff reduction would "cripple our ability to provide public safety services to our citizens and create a critical blow to the entire criminal justice system in DuPage County."
"It is quite apparent to me that you are knowingly and intentionally attempting to interfere with the internal operations of my office through your power of appropriations," he wrote.
In an emailed statement after the Finance Committee's decision, though, Zaruba said the department "can do the best we can with the tools provided to us by the County Board."
"My job is to protect the public," he said. "I have been and will continue to do that job."
When it came to the body cameras expense, Jim Zay, vice chairman of the Finance Committee, said Zaruba never gave the committee an explanation as to which officers would wear body cameras or how often they would be used.
"We don't know who's going to be getting them. Do we have the IT support to do this? How is this recorded? How do we keep this stuff?" he asked.
Fichtner said County Board members also chose not to fund the body cameras because they aren't a necessity. The county has denied funding for nonrequired items across all departments, he said.
Had Zaruba viewed the cameras as a necessity, he should have begun a discussion with committee members, he said. Fichtner said board members reached out to Zaruba about available grant options but weren't given a response.
"It's not just about being a good law enforcement official. It's about being a good manager," he said. "Just because he's sheriff doesn't mean he can be let off the hook to manage an efficient budget."
The County Board will vote on the final version of the budget at its last meeting in November. The budget goes into effect Dec. 1.
meltagouri@tribune.com
