Transparent, Service-First Government

Transparent, service-first government starts with a simple premise: county government exists to serve the people who live and work here—not itself. When residents can clearly see how decisions are made, how money is spent, and how programs perform, trust grows and services improve. A service-first mindset treats every interaction—permits, records requests, public safety updates, budget hearings—as a chance to deliver clarity, speed, and respect. Here’s what that looks like in practice and how Isobel Michaud would lead it on the DuPage County Board.

The Core Principles

1. Plain language and open data. Residents shouldn’t need a law degree or decoder ring to follow county business. Budget summaries, contracts, and meeting agendas belong in clear English, with the underlying data downloadable in open formats.

2. Outcomes over processes. Government often measures effort (meetings held, forms processed). Service-first measures results (permits issued on time, response times met, road projects completed on schedule, satisfaction scores).

3. Respect for the public’s time. If a process is confusing or slow for residents, it is a problem to fix—period. Digital services, consolidated forms, and one-stop help lines save people time and reduce errors.

4. Ethics and impartiality. Conflicts of interest must be disclosed and eliminated. Hiring and procurement should be competitive and merit-based, with clear, published criteria.

Open Books, Understandable Budgets

Budgets are value statements. A service-first county presents a two-page budget overview that any taxpayer can absorb in minutes:

• Where the money comes from (property tax, sales tax, state/federal funds, fees).

• Where it goes (public safety, transportation, public health, administration), with year-over-year changes.

• Three to five outcome goals per department (e.g., average 9-1-1 response time target; miles of roadway resurfaced; number of seniors served).

• A link to a searchable online budget where line items and contracts can be explored.

Quarterly, the county should publish a progress dashboard that reports on those outcome goals in plain language. If targets are missed, explain why, what corrective action is underway, and when to expect improvement. That’s how trust is built: not by perfection, but by honest tracking and follow-through.

Meetings You Can Actually Follow

Transparency is not just about streaming meetings; it’s about making them useful:

• Agenda packets posted at least 72 hours in advance, with summaries of each item and links to prior actions.

• Time-stamped video so residents can jump to the segment they care about.

• Outcome recap within 48 hours—bulleted decisions, vote counts, next steps.

• A public comment tracker that shows requests received, responses, and resolutions.

For residents who cannot attend weekday sessions, hold periodic evening or Saturday briefings and publish a five-minute “meeting highlights” video. Respect the public’s time, and participation will rise.

Procurement: Honest Competition, Better Value

Taxpayers deserve the best product at the best price. Service-first procurement follows four rules:

1. Competitive bidding as the default, with exceptions clearly justified and reviewed.

2. Clear scoring rubrics published before bids are due.

3. Vendor performance logs—safety, timeliness, cost control—linked to future eligibility.

4. Contract search where residents can view active contracts, amounts, and deliverables.

When suppliers know performance is measured and visible, quality goes up and prices go down.

Faster, Simpler Services

A service-first county should feel like a well-run company on the front end. Practical steps:

• One-stop permit portal with guided forms, fee calculators, and real-time status. Applicants should receive a projected decision date, automatic updates, and a named point of contact.

• Knowledge base for common tasks (starting a business, pulling a building permit, requesting records, hosting an event) with checklists and timelines.

• Single customer number (and text line) that routes residents to live help and logs issues for follow-up.

• Service standards published by department (e.g., “We issue residential building permits within 10 business days if complete”); if the county misses the standard, it explains and fixes the bottleneck.

Records and FOIA, Done Right

Freedom of Information is a right—not a nuisance. Streamlining FOIA is the fastest way to reduce friction:

• Proactive disclosure of commonly requested records (budgets, contracts, meeting minutes, building data, inspection results), reducing FOIA volume.

• FOIA tracker where requesters can see status, estimated delivery dates, and reasons for any redactions.

• Data retention policy published in plain language so residents understand what exists and for how long.

Ethics, Conflicts, and Lobbying

Integrity must be institutional, not personal. Isobel supports:

• Annual conflict disclosures for elected officials, senior staff, and key vendors, posted online.

• Gift and revolving-door rules with real consequences and public reporting.

• Lobbyist registration and meeting logs so residents can see who is lobbying whom about what.

Clear rules protect honest officials and reassure residents.

Digital with a Human Touch

Technology should simplify, not frustrate. A service-first approach pairs digital tools with reachable humans:

• Mobile-first design, since many residents interact via phone.

• Live chat during business hours, with transcripts emailed to residents.

• Call-back option so no one waits on hold.

• Language access for major community languages; accessibility standards for all content.

When residents feel respected—online or in person—trust rises.

Data Privacy and Cybersecurity

Transparency does not mean reckless data sharing. The county should publish a Privacy & Data Use Statement that explains what is collected, why, how it’s protected, and how long it’s retained. Cybersecurity training, regular audits, and incident-response plans are non-negotiable. Residents need confidence that openness and privacy can coexist.

Measuring What Matters

Transparency succeeds when it’s measurable. Here are countywide metrics Isobel would champion:

• Service metrics: permit turnaround times, records request timelines, call answer rates, satisfaction scores.

• Financial metrics: percent of contracts competitively bid; variance of projects vs. budget; audit findings resolved.

• Engagement metrics: meeting views, agenda downloads, public comments processed, response times to constituent inquiries.

• Equity of access: percentage of services available online; language-access usage; ADA compliance audits passed.

These metrics should be published quarterly, with department heads presenting short “what we learned / what we’re changing” updates.

A 12-Month Roadmap

1–3 months: publish service standards; launch meeting highlight recaps; post two-page budget overview.
4–6 months: open the contract search portal; launch the public dashboard with three departments.
7–9 months: roll out the unified permit portal; implement vendor performance logs.
10–12 months: expand dashboard to all departments; introduce FOIA tracker; hold an evening “State of Services” town hall.

Why This Matters

Transparency lowers temperature and raises quality. When budgets, contracts, and performance are visible, debate becomes about facts and results—not rumor or partisanship. When services are designed around residents, people feel respected and are more likely to participate. That’s how communities stay strong and fiscally healthy.

Bottom line: A transparent, service-first county treats residents like customers and neighbors. It explains decisions plainly, measures outcomes, and fixes what isn’t working. With Isobel Michaud’s leadership—open books, clear standards, and a culture that values every resident’s time—DuPage can set the standard for honest, responsive local government.