June 4th 2024.
On Tuesday, the Will County Board held a special meeting to discuss potential pay raises for county elected officials. However, things did not go as planned when the Republicans abruptly left the board room, resulting in a lack of quorum and no official business being conducted.
As a result of the walkout, no votes were taken on the proposed pay raises, leaving the salaries for countywide elected officials and board members unchanged for the next four years. This means that those who are up for election in November will not see any changes in their salaries.
It's worth noting that County Board members have not received a salary increase since 2009, while countywide elected officials, who have full-time jobs, have had their salaries frozen since 2007. Currently, Board members make $23,000 a year, while countywide elected officials make $93,116 annually.
During the meeting, Democrat Meta Mueller of Aurora expressed her disappointment at the lack of salary increases for county officials. She felt that it was a dereliction of duty to not even consider a cost of living increase in nearly 20 years.
Fellow Democrat Mica Freeman of Plainfield also spoke out, stating that their jobs were not fulfilled that day. As elected officials, they took an oath to serve their constituents and make important decisions, but by walking out, they were unable to fulfill their duties.
The majority of items on the agenda that day revolved around proposed pay raises for county officials. These raises needed to be approved by June 5th in order to take effect after the November election. This year, six board members representing three districts will be on the ballot, along with the county executive, the circuit clerk for the courts, recorder of deeds, auditor, and coroner. It's worth noting that the County Board does not have the power to set the salary for the state's attorney, which is also up for election in November.
The first vote of the day was to increase the county executive's salary from $93,116 to $100,000 a year with 2.5% increases for the following three years. This proposal was put forth by Democratic Leader Jackie Traynere of Bolingbrook but ultimately failed to pass.
Things took a turn during a subsequent vote on the county executive's salary. As the roll call began, Republican members started walking out of the room. However, since the roll call had already started with members still present, Assistant State's Attorney Mary Tatroe confirmed that the vote could still count. In the end, nine Democrats voted in favor of the pay raise, while the nine Republicans who left were assumed to be no votes. County Executive Jennifer Bertino-Tarrant, a Democrat, chose to abstain from voting, stating that she believes in "one for all, all for one" and did not feel comfortable voting for a pay raise for her office without considering the other positions. Bertino-Tarrant is currently running for reelection against Republican Chuck Maher.
Unfortunately, due to the lack of quorum caused by the Republican walkout, subsequent votes on pay raises could not take place. This was a source of frustration for Bertino-Tarrant, who expressed disappointment in the unprofessional behavior of her fellow elected officials. She also noted that this kind of behavior is a recurring issue in their meetings and is incredibly disappointing.
Her sentiments were echoed by other board Democrats, who felt that it was childish and embarrassing for elected officials to walk out of a meeting simply because they disagreed with the items being voted on. Democrat Joe VanDuyne of Wilmington called the actions of his colleagues "childish" and an embarrassment. He also expressed that as elected officials, they should be able to handle disagreements and take votes without resorting to walking out.
On the other hand, County Board Chair Judy Ogalla, a Republican from Monee, stated that she was receptive to pay increases for countywide officials, board members, and the county board chairperson. While the Republican Caucus was not in favor of pay raises, Ogalla put forth a plan that she believed everyone could agree on.
This plan included a 1% pay raise per year for fiscal years 2025 through 2028 for countywide elected officials. This would bring their salaries up to about $96,897 by 2028. Board members would also receive a $500 a year increase for the next two years and a $1,000 a year increase for fiscal years 2027 and 2028, ending with a $26,000 a year salary. The county board chairperson would see a bump of $10,500 for fiscal year 2025, followed by subsequent salary increases of $500 and $1,000, resulting in a total salary of $36,000 by 2028.
Ogalla stressed that these raises were simply "conversation starters" and that she had been in discussions with some board Democrats over the weekend. She also noted that Traynere had offered a proposal that she could not agree to and referenced a previous incident where Traynere had left a meeting after just 11 minutes to discuss salaries.
Traynere, however, defended her proposal, stating that she wanted a 1.5% increase per year for countywide officials so that they would not be taking a pay cut each year. She also pointed out that the take-home pay for countywide elected officials is currently lower than it was 16 years ago due to rising health insurance costs.
In addition, Traynere stated that she had been trying to discuss salary increases since December and that Ogalla had supported the 1% raises but invited her to make amendments at the meeting. She also pointed out that the board members are paid a salary to be at meetings and should have been able to work through their disagreements.
Republican Katie Deane-Schlottman of Joliet expressed her disappointment with the Democrats' behavior, stating that they could have requested a special meeting at any time if they were interested in discussing pay raises. She also criticized their actions and stated that it was "childish and embarrassing" to push for pay raises while also asking taxpayers to prepare for a potential tax increase.
Fellow Republican Jim Richmond of Mokena echoed Deane-Schlottman's sentiments, stating that the Republicans were originally opposed to pay raises but had reached an agreement with the Democrats, which was then changed.
In response, Republican Vince Logan of Joliet asked a rhetorical question, stating that if someone made an agreement with you and then changed it, would you sit there or get up and leave? He also pointed out that they are elected officials and are paid to be at meetings, so they should have been able to work through their differences.
In the end, Democrat Natalie Coleman of Plainfield, who is not running for reelection, spoke up, stating that as public servants, they take time away from their families and jobs to serve their community. She noted that Will County is one of the largest counties in the state, and the cost of living has gone up, making it difficult for some to run for office. Coleman also emphasized that this lack of action was a disservice to the county and that she was not voting for a pay raise for the current officials but for the future leaders who will take their place.
Overall, the meeting ended without any official business being conducted, leaving the salaries for county officials unchanged. It remains to be seen if the board will revisit this issue in the future.
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