Island Lake divides jobs

The Island Lake village board Thursday night voted to repeal an ordinance that requires the village clerk to serve also as the collector.

The board's decision to make the collector's duties separate from the clerk's position takes effect only after current Village Clerk Christine Kaczmarek's seat is up for re-election in April 2009.

Kaczmarek will still serve in both capacities until then.

"I think it gives the board more options to address the responsibilities of that position," Island Lake Mayor Tom Hyde said.

Hyde said the collector's duties could be divided among a number of people instead of putting everything on the clerk's shoulders, whose duties as an elected official might not allow enough time to perform the collector's job.

The village clerk's position is an elected office, whereas the collector's post is not.

The move comes on the heels of a lawsuit Kaczmarek filed against the village claiming she is owed more than $182,000 in back pay since being elected clerk and collector three years ago.

That lawsuit, filed Sept. 12 in Lake County circuit court, stems from the village board's 2005 decision to reduce the hours and pay of the position, which Kaczmarek claims was illegal because it was imposed after she took office May 1.

By law, pay for an elected official cannot be increased or decreased during the term, and must be fixed at least 180 days before the beginning of the term of office.

Former Island Lake Village Clerk Christine Becker, who also served as collector, was paid more than $78,000 annually for both positions, court records showed.

In her election campaign, Kaczmarek promised to reduce the clerk's annual salary from more than $70,000 to $4,800. But Kaczmarek said she did not know at the time the collector's duties would fall under her.

The current salary of the clerk and collector, considered a part-time position, is $16,500.

In 2005, the village board reduced the clerk's salary to $4,800 and reduced the amount of money the collector was paid to $15 an hour, and limited the hours of that job to 20 hours per week.

But the new village board elected in April 2009 will need to define the job description, salary and hours of the collector's position, Hyde said.

The village board may then adjust the collector's salary as needed just like any other village employee, village attorney Scott Puma said.

According to Kaczmarek, the village collector works with the finance department and takes in money for village stickers, permits and other items. The collector also deposits that money in the bank and enters information into the village computer system.