For the suburbs, 2022 was a year of firsts on many fronts, most notably in the arena of state and local politics, but also strides were made toward greater representation in the judicial system and society.
DuPage County will start the upcoming fiscal year with a balanced budget that features some new projects and pay raises for employees, while also reducing property taxes.
Four years after Democrats made significant gains in the region, several of the collar counties turned a darker shade of blue on Tuesday. Democrats flipped key state House districts in the Northwest suburbs. Democrats solidified control of the Lake County Board. The GOP has no representation in Congress from northeastern Illinois. And in DuPage, Democratic state Rep. Deb Conroy became the first woman elected county board chair.