DuPage County departments are building their spending plans for fiscal year 2027, a process that will shape funding for stormwater projects and social services programs relied on by Elmhurst-area residents, including help paying heating bills, weatherizing homes, and avoiding eviction.
More than $6 million in community services grants appeared on the county Finance Committee's Monday, June 23 agenda. The largest, $4,699,341, would fund the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program, which helps qualifying households cover heating and cooling costs. Another $974,465 is earmarked for the Home Weatherization Assistance Program, which pays for insulation, furnace repairs, and other efficiency upgrades for low-income homeowners. A third allocation, $384,000, would fund Homeless Prevention services, which provide emergency rent and utility assistance to keep families housed. All three programs serve Elmhurst-area households, according to the county.
Finance Committee Chair Paula Deacon Garcia reminded department heads to submit their budget requests at the committee's Monday, June 9 meeting. The groundwork was laid earlier, on Monday, May 12, when the committee approved the FY2027 budget calendar, budget letter and instructions, and financial policies. Garcia said the process will include "a few changes for this upcoming fiscal year," though she did not specify what those changes would be, according to meeting minutes.
Flooding and drainage on the table
Stormwater Director Sarah Hunn presented an FY2027 budget overview to the Stormwater Management Committee on Monday, June 2, covering six program areas. Committee members discussed expanding the county's Buy Out program, which pays property owners in flood-prone areas to relocate rather than rebuild after repeated flooding. Hunn said the program has been "pushed into the new initiatives to ensure a detailed program is in place to be prepared for additional funding, if available."
The Finance Committee also approved two smaller but concrete infrastructure items on June 9: a $30,000 intergovernmental agreement with the Milton Township Highway Department for the National Street Drainage Improvement Project, and a $196,599 contract for submersible pumps at county lift stations, which keep stormwater systems running during heavy rain.
What it means for Elmhurst residents
For context, the FY2026 budget, adopted November 25, 2025, totaled $661.5 million and kept the county's property tax rate flat. Whether FY2027 holds that line, or changes funding levels for energy assistance, weatherization, or flood mitigation, will directly affect Elmhurst households who rely on these programs or live in flood-prone areas.
The full County Board is expected to vote on the FY2027 budget this fall, though no adoption date has been set. Elmhurst residents who want a say in how these funds are allocated can attend Finance or Stormwater Management Committee meetings, which are open to the public, or contact their County Board representative ahead of the fall vote.
