Year-end SA bonuses are well-justified

I see that Kane County State's Attorney Joe McMahon is, while staying within the confines of his budget, paying year-end bonuses to his employees.

In doing so, he has incurred the wrath of County Board Chairman Chris Lauzen who claimed McMahon was buying loyalty at the expense of the taxpayers. (Daily Herald, 12/7/16).

The article makes two points that I would like to address.

1. The practice of making bonus payments in the state's attorney's office precedes McMahon. This is true. I was the Kane County State's Attorney from 1988-1992, and at the end of each fiscal year I would use whatever was remaining in the budget for employee bonuses. Other state's attorneys have done the same, and the public defender has a similar practice. The reason for this is set out below, but the ability to make these year-end payments usually arises due to staff resignations that are not immediately filled.

2. State's attorneys' salary increases have increased at a higher rate than other county employees.

I believe this is true. Several years ago, I wrote a letter to the editor about the talent drain at the state's attorney's and public defender's offices resulting from low wages compared to other Chicago area county legal offices. The pay gap was enormous. Recent budget increases have only begun to help.

The vast majority of assistant state's attorneys, public defenders and their support personnel are talented professionals who work hard for, at best, modest salaries. So, to accomplish the twin goals of retaining valuable employees and attempting to get them near a fair salary, year-end bonuses are paid. The state's attorney and public defender wouldn't be doing their jobs, or serving the public, if they did otherwise.

Gary V. Johnson

Aurora