DuPage forest preserve cuts employee raises

Saving taxpayers $185,000 will cost DuPage County Forest Preserve employees their raises next year.

During recent talks, forest preserve commissioners removed the proposed pay hikes from the budget.

"I asked that it be done," said commissioner Mike Formento. "We're looking at economic conditions where I don't think anybody should be receiving pay increases, it's no reflection of the staff whatsoever."

The forest preserve district employs about 300 people, officials said. Employee raises aren't across the board, though. Each department head is given a pool equal to a percentage of that department's salary budget. Last year, it was 3 percent, and this year it would have been 1 percent. Department heads last year could have given high-performing employees as much as a 6 percent pay bump. But the maximum changes every year, officials said.

Formento said it's possible that the raises could be reinstituted if the economy turns around.

The district's human resources director, Laura Capizzano, said she was still asked to compile a report that outlines what other forest preserve districts are doing and pay for similar positions in the private sector.

"I'll bring back that information to the commission for consideration for merit increases," she said, "but right now, the budget has no money for merit increases."

Formento said the commission made a mistake last year by approving 3 percent salary increases for themselves every year through 2012. That took the commissioners' annual salaries of $50,079 in 2008 to $56,912 by 2012. Formento was the lone dissenting vote at the time.

"I did not think it was a wise decision at the time," he said. "And I don't think it was wise now."

Commissioners must approve the district's budget by July 1 when its fiscal year begins. However, some eligible employees will still receive raises through December because that money was approved in the previous year's budget.