Cronin sponsored a constitutional amendment to allow voters to recall elected officials, but the proposal was blocked by Senate Democrats. In 2008, he voted in favor of a pension reform bill that required the Chicago Transit Authority (CTA) to increase its pension contributions. In 2010, he co-sponsored legislation with Representative Randy Ramey that would reform DuPage County's water commission, an independent entity, by bringing it under the county's direct control. The proposal came after it was revealed that the commission had misspent around $69 million in reserve funds, with the financial administrator spending down some of those reserve funds without informing the water commission. A forensic audit revealed that missteps by the commission, the financial administrator, and the general manager caused several accounting errors that nearly depleted the reserves. The city council of Naperville joined the DuPage Mayors and Managers Conference in opposing the legislation, citing fears that the county would be taking control over municipal amenities.
