Raises in line for DuPage sheriff's office

It finally may pay a little more to be a DuPage County deputy sheriff.

After years of going without raises - including this year when Sheriff John Zaruba was given money by the county board to boost his deputies' salaries but didn't - the 370-plus deputies are looking at double-digit pay hikes, clothing stipends and having the increased costs of their health benefits covered.

The county board's finance committee recommended the additional appropriations for the sheriff's office at a special meeting Wednesday. The full county board votes on the amended budget Tuesday.

Fred Backfield, the county's chief financial officer, said about 100 newer deputies would receive a 16 percent raise and deputies who have been with the county longer than 10 years would receive a 12 percent hike.

The bump includes the money allotted for raises from this year's budget that Zaruba hasn't used. Backfield said Zaruba didn't implement the raises this year because the sheriff wanted it done all at once. The increase would amount to roughly $2.2 million from this year's budget, which was already set aside in the sheriff's budget.

In addition, the committee also recommended moving $400,000 from the sheriff's overtime budget to cover a new clothing stipend for deputies.

"With the new hires coming on the overtime costs should be coming down," said District 6 board member James Zay.

It's unclear how the clothing stipends will work and if the money will be evenly distributed to the three different types of deputies: patrol, court security and corrections.

And as a bonus, deputies and all other county employees will have the increased cost of health benefits picked up by the county if the committee's recommendation is approved by the full board. County employees were looking at a $120 to $720 spike in their annual medical insurance costs. Many workers complained that the 1.5 percent guaranteed cost-of-living raise would be erased by the increased insurance costs. The additional coverage will cost the county about $450,000, Backfield said. The committee did not decide where the money would come from.

Despite increased lobbying for significant raises for county prosecutors, the state's attorney's budget was not amended Wednesday.

District 2 board member Brien Sheahan said he would push for an amendment at the upcoming board meeting. He may not have had the votes on the committee to approve the recommendation.

"Strangely, I've found the finance committee is not a venue for constructive discussion of the budget," he said.

Without the raises, starting salaries for prosecutors and the deputies who provide security in the courtroom would almost be identical.

Also at Wednesday's meeting, the finance committee recommended adding $500,000 to the regional mass transit budget for circulator bus routes and $300,000 more for food banks.