Committee scales back Kane Co. raises

An ad-hoc committee Friday scaled back plans for some county officials' raises but still recommended a plan in which the circuit court clerk would get a $21,000 raise next year.

Under the plan, the county recorder of deeds, coroner and auditor would get about a $9,000 raise next year and the board chairman a $15,000 raise. Each of those jobs would get a $5,000 raise each of the next three years.

The raises are needed because Kane County's officials are so far behind similar jobs in other counties in terms of pay, supporters said.

The Kane County circuit court clerk currently is paid $79,000 a year, the lowest of the collar counties. In DuPage County the position pays $138,567; in Lake County, $108,160; in McHenry County, $89,530; and in Will County, $93,116.

Committee members, which included residents, business owners and county officials not up for raises this year, said it was hard to reconcile officials being underpaid with hard economic times.

The pay difference for other Kane County officials ranged from $10,000 to $17,000 less than the same officials in McHenry and Will counties, excluding board chairman because the duties of that position vary widely.

"It looks to me like we're out of whack," committee member Shauna Wiet said.

Committee Chairman Ken Cornelissen said the county should work hard to let residents know why the increases are so high.

"It's hard to understand a 10 percent raise when people aren't getting raises or are out of work," he said. "It better make a lot of sense."

Committee member Paul Lencioni said the increases would only be about a .03 percent increase in the county's budget, or about 21 cents per taxpayer. He said that was worth paying for a government that was the most efficient in the area.

"I'll leave my quarter today," he said.

The ad-hoc proposal differs from a plan passed by the county's human services committee last month in that it makes the increases more incremental. The county committee's plan had the raises happening over two years, and then those rates would be frozen for two years.

The recommendation goes to the county's executive committee on May 7, and the county board is scheduled to vote on it May 14. The county is required to approve salaries within 180 days before an election.

Raises for some county employees

The Kane County executive committee will discuss proposed raises May 7 and the county board is scheduled to vote on it on May 14. The county is required to approve salaries within 180 days before an election.

Position Current Dec. '08

Recorder $76,873 $85,500

Coroner $76,873 $85,500

Auditor $76,873 $85,500

Circuit clerk $79,000 $90,000

Board chair $85,000 $100,000