Jean Kaczmarek

DuPage County Clerk Jean Kaczmarek can decide how her office spends money, but when it comes to getting the bills paid, the clerk’s office must follow county procedures, a judge ruled Monday.

Judge Bryan Chapman sided with the county and issued a summary judgment — a ruling without a full trial — that orders the clerk’s office to follow county accounting procedures. The ruling takes effect immediately, a spokesman for the DuPage County state’s attorney’s office said.

Monday’s decision marks the latest in a yearslong battle that at times has pitted the Democratic-led county board against the clerk’s office, also led by a Democrat. At issue has been how bills get paid and the internal control Kaczmarek has over her office.

Last September, the DuPage County state’s attorney

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