McHenry Co. OKs raises, by a slim margin

A narrowly divided McHenry County Board approved raises for four county officials Tuesday that will boost their salaries over the $100,000 mark within four years.

The board voted 14-9 to pass the measure that gives the county auditor, coroner, recorder of deeds and circuit clerk of the courts annual 4 percent raises starting next year.

Backers of the plan said the pay raises will help ensure that highly qualified people will want to run for those elected offices and that it will keep their raises in line with what their rank-and-file employees are receiving every year.

"These are all very well-run departments, and if we want to continue to attract good people, we have to pay a competitive wage," board member Anna May Miller said.

Under the resolution approved Tuesday, salaries for those officeholders will increase from the $86,086 they are making this year to $93,111 in 2009. They will cross the six-figure mark in 2011, making $100,709 that year, and top out at $104,737 in 2012.

Board members opposed to the raises said they are concerned about the rapid escalation of elected officials' salaries. Just three years ago, the auditor, coroner, recorder and circuit clerk made about $75,500. With the new raises approved Tuesday, their pay will increase more than 23 percent in five years and about 39 percent in eight years.

"I'm looking at these numbers and I'm astounded," board member Barbara Wheeler said. "This is a lot of money for public servants."

Fellow opponent Randall Donley said the county board should eliminate yearly raises for elected officials and instead set a flat annual salary for the length of a 4-year term.

"As an elected official, I don't think we're owed any cost-of-living raises," he said. "The salary is the salary when you get elected, and it's yours for four years."