5 percent raise, no health benefits for West Dundee village manager

West Dundee Village Manager Joe Cavallaro will get a 5 percent pay raise starting next year in exchange for the elimination of his health insurance benefits.

The village board voted 5-1 Monday to approve a new four-year employment agreement with Cavallaro, who has served in the manager position since 1989.

The contract, effective Jan. 1, does not include health and dental insurance benefits previously offered to Cavallaro. Instead, the costs associated with those benefits will roll into his annual base salary, which is set at $178,331.

The trade-off was proposed by Cavallaro in an effort to more closely align his compensation with similar positions in nearby municipalities. Village officials previously surveyed other managers in the area and realized Cavallaro's salary fell below the norm, Trustee Michelle Kembitzky said.

"We're able to bring him up to what he's worth without costing the village more," she said. "This is a win-win for the village."

But Trustee Dan Wilbrandt, who voted against the measure, said he doesn't believe other managers' salaries should be a factor.

"Just making someone's pay scale commensurate with other villages and towns doesn't necessarily make it a decision I'm willing to be in favor of," he said.

According to the agreement, the village board will consider merit or economic-based increases to Cavallaro's salary each year. Similar to previous contracts, Cavallaro is also granted a $500 monthly car allowance, retirement benefits, and an annual five weeks of vacation and 40 hours of compensation time.

Additionally, the new contract adds a provision requiring Cavallaro to give at least one year's notice if he decides to retire. This would give the village enough time to create a succession plan and prepare his replacement, Kembitzky said.

In the last four years, Cavallaro has worked closely with his administrative team and the village board to begin implementing a downtown redevelopment plan. But there's more work to be done, he said.

"I would like to continue my role to assist in achieving those successes and continuing the high quality of service delivery for the organization," he said. "West Dundee is a unique community, and I feel very fortunate to be both a resident and employee."