Buffalo Grove village manager gets new 4-year contract

Buffalo Grove Village Manager Dane Bragg has a new four-year contract that pushes his salary above the $200,000 mark.

The village board approved an agreement Monday that raises Bragg's base salary from $192,500 to $221,375 and provides him with $22,250 in compensation for achievements in 2016. Bragg, who was hired in 2010, will see raises to $254,581 in 2018 and $267,310 in 2019. The salary for 2020 has yet to be determined.

Other perks in the contract include a $500-per-month automobile allowance and a "cellular communications device."

If Bragg resigns voluntarily, the contract contains a covenant that restricts him from accepting employment as a manager, administrator or equivalent position for any other municipality within 25 miles of Buffalo Grove for one year.

Village President Beverly Sussman and the trustees praised Bragg's performance.

"The village of Buffalo Grove is very fortunate to have Dane Bragg as our village manager. He's an outstanding village manager. Not only is he competent, but he thinks outside the box," Sussman said Monday.

Ensuring stable stewardship of an organization means keeping good people, Trustee Jeffrey Berman said.

"We have one. And to do that, you must compensate them fairly and competitively. That is the reality of the situation we face in our role as policymakers," Berman said. He called the agreement a fair and reasonable compromise.

Former Village President Jeffrey Braiman, who attended the meeting, praised the board for recognizing Bragg's value.

Braiman noted Bragg manages a $90 million village budget, assets of more than $1 billion and a workforce exceeding 220 people.

"It's a difficult job. If you were in the private industry, the pay that they are going approve today would be far exceeded," he said.

Before the vote, Bragg thanked the village board, but said he works as part of a team.

"I appreciate your continued support, and I very much look forward to the next four years," he said.