The Illinois Attorney General's office is investigating whether the DuPage County Board broke state open meetings law when it approved pay raises for elected officials in April, setting taxpayer-funded salaries for county leaders who serve Downers Grove, Woodridge, Westmont and other DuPage communities.

DuPage County Clerk Jean Kaczmarek filed the complaint, arguing the board failed to give the public adequate notice before voting Tuesday, April 28 to boost the county board chair's salary from a proposed $154,390 to $185,000 for fiscal year 2027. Under the amended ordinance, the chair's pay will top $198,000 by fiscal year 2030.

The salary increase was not in the agenda packet posted Friday, April 24. Instead, board member Sam Tornatore proposed the higher figure during a finance committee meeting held just before the full board vote that same day. The amendment passed 9-7 in committee, with members Childress, Covert, DeSart, Eckhoff, Haider, Honig, Martinez, Tornatore and Zay voting yes. The full board then approved the amended compensation ordinance.

"There's been a lot of noise about the way raises were done, and people say, 'Well, there should be a law against that.' Guess what, there is," Kaczmarek said, according to the Daily Herald.

In a letter dated Thursday, July 2, the AG's public access counselor told Board Chair Deborah Conroy that further review of Kaczmarek's complaint is warranted. The letter asks the county to explain whether it participates in the Illinois Municipal Retirement Fund, whether the pension code's definition of "employee" covers elected officials, and whether the board "improperly approved a materially different compensation ordinance" at the April meeting.

Kaczmarek's legal argument hinges on a provision of the Open Meetings Act requiring six days' public notice before approving a compensation package of $150,000 or more for an employee participating in IMRF. While elected officials are not typically classified as employees, the state pension code includes them in its definition.

The ordinance also set county board member salaries at $53,144 for fiscal year 2027, rising to $62,000 by 2030. It covers five countywide offices and 12 board seats for officials taking office after the November 2026 election.

Board member Lynn LaPlante, who voted against the raises, said she supports the inquiry. "I'm always supportive of more transparency. And if there's nothing wrong here, then no one should have an issue with it being looked into," LaPlante told the Daily Herald.

Conroy said in a written statement that the state's attorney will provide a "detailed response" to the public access counselor by the Tuesday, July 14 deadline. Paul Darrah, a spokesman for the DuPage County state's attorney's office, said the office will "answer the PAC's questions and defend the county."

The county's response is due Tuesday, July 14.