Des Plaines aldermen override veto, keep health insurance
Des Plaines aldermen Monday voted to override a veto by Mayor Matt Bogusz that will allow them and other city elected officials to keep their taxpayer-funded health insurance benefits.
With six out of eight city council members voting in the affirmative, it marks the first time aldermen had enough votes to override Bogusz, in what is the second veto of his three-year tenure.
The vote came with little debate or discussion from aldermen or the mayor, but it followed at least three months of political wrangling over the health insurance issue.
"I'm disappointed but not surprised," Bogusz said of the council's vote after the meeting. "It shows a pretty severe case of entitlement and it's contrary to the will of their neighbors. I'm hearing a lot from residents continually surprised by the council's willingness to write themselves a blank check."
Supporters of keeping the benefits have argued elected officials often work more than part-time hours and receive salaries as low as $3,000. They've also said the city's costs to cover officials - $92,692 last year - is relatively small compared to the overall $150 million city budget.
The mayor, the city clerk and aldermen have been eligible to receive city health and dental coverage for more than three decades, but Bogusz unilaterally decided in February to discontinue the perks at the end of their current terms of office. The city's general counsel said the mayor had the administrative authority to end the benefits after the city staff couldn't find anything in the city code certifying it.
Last month, aldermen voted 6-2 to put the benefits into the code - a vote that was followed by the mayor's veto. The two aldermen who voted "no," Denise Rodd and Don Smith, don't accept the benefits. Neither does Bogusz.
Aldermen on Monday night maintained that veto-proof margin, putting the issue to rest for now, though some have suggested a citywide referendum could be held.
The topic is also sure to resurface as a campaign issue when the mayor runs for re-election and other council seats are up for grabs in April 2017.
Bogusz's first veto as mayor came in late 2013, keeping intact the city's so-called responsible bidder ordinance that some aldermen sought to change. They argued the union-friendly rule, requiring contractors bidding on public projects over $25,000 to have apprenticeship programs, was costing the city money. The council didn't have the required six votes to override Bogusz's veto.