DuPage Township Board's Conflict of Interest

Note to Readers:  Six townships serve Naperville – four in DuPage County (Lisle, Milton, Naperville and Winfield) and two in Will County (DuPage and Wheatland).  DuPage Township includes residents of Naperville, Bolingbrook and Romeoville.

At its May 10 meeting, the DuPage Township Board, including Supervisor Bill Mayer and Trustee Faisel Rashid, approved a $2,000 sponsorship requested by the Bolingbrook Cricket League.  The Board also approved two other sponsorship / donation requests at the meeting -- $1,000 to the Veterans of Foreign Wars and $500 to the Bolingbrook Rotary Club Fundraiser.  In addition, at its April 26 meeting, the Board approved sponsorships / donations totaling $4,500 to six other community organizations.

Before approving the $2,000 to the Bolingbrook Cricket League, neither Mayer nor Fashid disclosed that each serves on the League's Board.  The Bolingbrook Cricket League's website (http://www.bolingbrookcricket.com/rules-bcl.pdf) lists Mayer as the League's Treasurer and Rashid as its Secretary, both with two-year terms that began in 2010.

Mayer and Rashid should have disclosed their conflict of interest and excused themselves from discussing and voting to approve the $2,000 sponsorship. 

As Board members of both DuPage Township and the Bolingbrook Cricket League, a reasonable person could consider their approving the $2,000 to the Bolingbrook Cricket League as a breach in their duty and loyalty to DuPage Township residents.

If either Mayer or Rashid is unclear regarding the meaning of a conflict of interest, they should refer to Section VII. - Conflict of Interest - of the Bolingbrook Cricket League's By Laws:

Any member of the board who has a financial, official interest in, or conflict (or appearance of conflict) with any matter before the Board, of such nature that it prevents or may prevent that member from acting on the matter in an impartial manner, will offer to the Board to voluntarily excuse him / herself and will vacate his seat and refrain from discussion and voting on said matter.

Mayer and Rashid had a second opportunity to disclose their conflict of interest during the Public Comments / Questions portion of the Board meeting.  After specific questions were asked to Mayer regarding Township donations and sponsorships, including the Bolingbrook Cricket League sponsorship, Mayer mentioned that the Board would consider donating to any Township group that serves either the community's youth or seniors.

Most readers are members of groups that support such causes, but may be unaware that Township funds are available for the good works of their organizations.  According to Mayer, youth and senior organizations need only submit a written request to the Township Board for donations / sponsorships. 

Note to DuPage Township residents regarding Township services:  DuPage Township, like many Illinois townships, has over the years expanded its services beyond the three mandated by the State -- general assistance, property assessment, and road and bridge maintenance.  Several of DuPage Township's expanded services are redundant with those provided by the Township's three municipalities (Bolingbrook, Romeoville and Naperville), other governmental units within the three municipalities (such as park and school districts), Will County, and private agencies.  DuPage Township's Board is so eager to find new ways to spend tax dollars that at its May 10 meeting, it appointed three residents to a Youth Task Force to recommend new youth programs that most likely the three municipal park districts could provide.

Note to community organizations that apply for Township funds:  You don't need to be politically connected to the DuPage Township Board to be awarded tax dollars, but it sure doesn't hurt.  Better hurry though and submit your formal requests before the donation spigot runs dry.

Note to DuPage Township Board members:  You were elected to represent the interests of DuPage Township residents.  If you have a conflict of interest, you need to reveal it and not participate in discussing or voting to fund community organizations on which you serve as an officer.  To do otherwise is unethical.

In addition, if the Township has collected excess taxes, the Township Board should rebate the taxes to Township taxpayers rather than creating a Task Force to find new ways to spend tax dollars.