Finance committee recommends raises in Fox River Grove

After not getting raises last year, nonunion employees in Fox River Grove might get a two percent raise when the next fiscal year begins May 1.

The village’s finance committee voted 3-1 on Thursday night to approve a two percent raise for the village’s nonunion exempt employees as part of the proposed 2011-12 budget. Those employees are the village administrator, the police chief, the village clerk and the public works director.

Trustees Gerald Menzel, James Tuman and Duane Figurski voted in favor of the raises. Trustee Suzanne Blohm cast the dissenting vote, saying she would have supported a lower raise.

During previous discussions about the proposed budget, the village board had already approved a 2-percent raise for the village’s 16 nonexempt, nonunion employees, all of whom work in the public works and administration departments, Menzel said.

The raises for the four nonunion employees amount to $7,290. The total expense for the raises for all 20 nonunion employees — including Social Security, retirement, and other contributions — amounts to about $20,000, said Village Administrator Art Osten.

Personnel salaries are part of the village’s $4.6 million general fund, which this year has a projected deficit of about $124,000.

To balance the general fund, the finance committee recommended a transfer of up to $125,000 from the village’s “red speed fund,” whose revenues come from the village’s red-light camera at routes 14 and 22. At the end of the current fiscal year, the balance for the red speed fund is projected to be about half million dollars, Osten said.

The meeting took a heated turn when trustee Figurski blasted the public works committee’s decision to meet in an unannounced, closed-door session to discuss compensation for personnel after its April 7 meeting.

“That was a backdoor meeting. Why weren’t the finance people involved?” Figurski said.

Trustee Tuman, who serves on the public works committee, said he regretted his decision to participate in the closed-door meeting.

“It was not only inappropriate, it was wrong,” he said.

The village will hold a public hearing on the proposed 2011-12 budget at 7 p.m. Thursday, April 21, at village hall, 305 Illinois St.