Lake Barrington village administrator rewarded with pay raise, bonus
Lake Barrington village board members praised the town's administrative leader last week before rewarding her with a 5% raise and a $20,000 bonus.
The base salary of Village Administrator Karen Daulton Lange will be $132,850 with the pay hike, according to an ordinance establishing her 2020 compensation through Dec. 31. She received a $126,525 salary and a $20,000 bonus in 2019, Lake Barrington's annual compensation report shows.
Daulton Lange said there were several financial highlights in Lake Barrington for 2019, including the receipt of a $192,500 Open Space Lands Acquisition and Development Program grant from the state for creation of Fetherling Park and a successful application for a $7,000 donation from Openlands for the village's Healthy Hedges initiative.
"This past year, we also negotiated a new contract with the Lake County sheriff's office, and the final three-year contract was $143,217 less over the first contract presented," Daulton Lange said.
Daulton Lange, a former Lake Barrington trustee, started as village administrator in October 2017. Her professional background includes extensive experience in civil engineering and public works.
Lake Barrington Village President Kevin Richardson said Daulton Lange has integrity and a sense of honor that are "beyond question."
"In a time when so many people are skeptical of government, it's great to know we don't have that problem," Richardson added.
Village trustees also praised Daulton Lange's work performance. Trustee Andrew Burke singled out her work in economic development.
Trustee John Schaller added, "We're fortunate."
Daulton Lange's resume includes engineering leadership roles in the villages of Arlington Heights, Downers Grove and Hanover Park, along with private sector work as an executive at Kennedy Land Development. She was Hanover Park's village engineer and assistant director of public works before taking over as Lake Barrington's administrator.
"I think my past experience as a private land developer helps when I meet with potential developers and builders who want to do business in Lake Barrington," she said. "My experience in other municipalities with road programs, stormwater and project management gives me a vast background to draw from in the day-to-day operations of Lake Barrington. Being an engineer, I can do many of the services the village used to have to pay our engineering consultants for, such as drainage evaluations and minor plan reviews."