Wheaton city manager gets 3% raise

Wheaton City Manager Don Rose will receive a 3 percent raise that officials say is a reward both for a job well done and for working without an increase the past two years.

“The consensus among our board members is that a 3 percent raise comes down to 1 percent per year over the last three years,” Mayor Mike Gresk said. “In many ways, some say it’s a token raise, but this is also emblematic of the service Mr. Rose has provided the city over the last 30 years.”

The bump will boost Rose’s annual salary $5,000 to $175,000; it is his first since 2008. Officials approved the measure during Monday’s city council meeting.

The announcement comes on the heels of the city approving “step increases” that essentially amounted to a 1 percent raise for all other nonunion employees.

Gresk said Rose’s long tenure with the city gives officials great insight into many issues.

“Don’s experience and knowledge of the city is invaluable,” Gresk said. “This recognizes that contribution.”

In November Rose marked his 30th anniversary with the city, and his salary remains below the maximum for his position set by ordinance at $181,669.

“There were quite a few comments (during evaluations) that over the course of the last several years without a pay increase, myself and the staff had done an awful lot of good things to stabilize the city’s financial situation,” Rose said.

Gresk said the raise comes as the city seems to have weathered the financial storm of the past few years.

“We are not out of the woods yet economically, but we feel good about how the city has responded and how we have made cuts,” Gresk said.

Additionally, he said the raise seemed to fall in line with the private sector. “Within the framework of some businesses, it’s modest,” Gresk said.