City council pay raises cause rift in Naperville

All but two Naperville City Council members have agreed to forego pay raises this year.

Councilmen Bob Fieseler and Doug Krause are keeping their 2.4 percent increases, but both say they are justified in doing so.

All eight council members were paid $11,413 this past fiscal year. By city ordinance, their pay goes up each year by 3 percent or the rate of inflation for the Chicago area - whichever is less.

Beginning May 1, members were set to receive annual raises totaling about $274.

Councilman Grant Wehrli was among those who signed a waiver rejecting the raise, citing the city's financial troubles. The city battled a budget hole as much as $14.1 million as it prepared the budget for the current fiscal year.

"I think it's hypocritical of elected officials to not give pay raises to anyone and then accept one themselves," Wehrli said. "We're in a financial crisis ... and managing our way through it pretty well in my opinion, but it sets the wrong tone."

Mayor George Pradel, who made $28,533 last fiscal year including his liquor commission salary, also waived his 2.4 percent increase.

Fieseler said he is "mystified" by that decision and doesn't seen the value of the move even as a symbolic gesture. He said if the council really wants to send a message, it would eliminate the $1,200 annual stipend for cell phone and Internet service, nix the ability for councilmen to be covered under the city's health insurance plan, or decrease the amount of the raises. Changing the council's pay legally would have to start with the next term of office.

Fieseler, who said he would be willing to do the job for free, said he isn't planning to pocket the entire council salary and will give money back to the community.

"I'm going to take my after-tax money as I always have and make what I think are worthy contributions to a much greater extent than the amount of money I would turn back to the city," he said.

Krause was on the council in 2000 when members decided to set up the system of raises and said it is equitable and a way to pay for the expenses councilmen incur while doing the job such as gas, parking and food. He said he regularly travels out of town on city business as a member of numerous regional committees and has never turned in an expense report.

He also pointed out that the city probably spent more on legal staff drafting the salary increase waivers than it saved by councilmen actually waiving the increases.

Wehrli said looking only at the money saved by the councilmen's salaries is shortsighted and the gesture will come into play when negotiating with other employees, including unions.

"If I had to give everybody in the city the 2.4 percent we're talking about, for a gang of nine it's not a lot of money," he said. "But the implications it could have through all our employees is substantial."

Other councilmen rejecting a pay increase this year are Richard Furstenau, Judy Brodhead, Kenn Miller, Paul Hinterlong and Jim Boyajian.