Wheeling village manager to get 10% raise

The Wheeling village board is expected to approve a 10 percent raise for Village Manager Jon Sfondilis on Monday, which officials say is merit-based and makes his salary somewhat comparative with other suburban top administrators.

His base salary will rise from $136,000 to $150,000, retroactive to Jan. 1, 2012.

Sfondilis has been with Wheeling for 19 years and was making $136,000 as assistant village manager, but he did not receive a raise with his promotion to village manager in January 2011, said Village President Judy Abruscato.

“It’s a big raise, but not really if you look at all the other managers,” Abruscato said Friday, calling the increase a fiscally-responsible decision.

Trustee Dean Argiris said the board looked at administrator pay in 12 other suburbs and realized Sfondilis was paid well below market level.

“He’s in this for the long haul and we want him around for a lot more years,” Argiris said. He said that even with the raise, Sfondilis is paid less than the average top administrators in the area.

“It’s a lot of responsibility,” Argiris said of running the village, managing employees and dealing with the village board.

The rest of Sfondilis’ contract will stay the same, including a $500 monthly vehicle allowance. Sfondilis lives in Elgin.

Barry Krumstok, city manager in Rolling Meadows was hired in 2011 at a base salary of $139,500. Buffalo Grove Village Manager Dane Bragg, another relatively new administrator, has a base salary of $170,000.

“I very much enjoy my work with the village and have in every position I’ve held,” Sfondilis said Friday. “I hope I can continue to serve for many years to come.”

The village manager is appointed by the board, which has the final word in setting his contact and salary.

Other nonunion village employees, including other department heads, got roughly 2 percent increases in May.

In October the village board approved stipend increases for elected officials, including the village president, trustees and clerk. These raises were the first increase elected officials had taken since 2001. Trustees are now compensated $6,000 annually and the village president earned $11,000 per year.

Argiris added that he has a positive outlook for the budget next year, and that although a deficit is projected, he thinks it will turn around into a surplus, which happened last year in Wheeling.

The budget also included a 0 percent tax levy increase for residents for 2012.

“We’re on the right track,” he said. “And Jon is the leader of that.”