Naperville Township road chief's pay slashed from $81,300 to $30,000
The salary for the position of Naperville Township highway commissioner just got a lot lower, and the pay cut is causing concern among township residents about who will fill the position in the future.
Township trustees this week cut the salary from $81,300 to $30,000 - effective for the next highway commissioner to be elected in spring 2017.
The move comes as officeholder Stan Wojtasiak has been under pressure this year to accept a road services proposal from the city of Naperville. On Thursday, he instead made a pact with the Lisle Township road district that goes into effect Monday.
Wojtasiak, 77, had planned on retiring at the end of this term, but in June changed his mind and said he intends to seek re-election. On Thursday, hearing of the salary cut, he said he likely will run again.
"I will have to look into it a little further, but yes," said Wojtasiak, who has been highway commissioner since he was appointed in late 2002.
Naperville Township Supervisor Rachel Ossyra said trustees lowered the highway commissioner's future salary to match the amount of time they believe the job requires. Trustees Janice Anderson and Kerry Malm joined Ossyra in voting in favor of the change, but Trustee Paul Santucci opposed it.
Ossyra said the job should be part-time because the highway commissioner manages only about 20 miles of unincorporated streets.
About 15 township residents attended a meeting Thursday in which Wojtasiak announced a deal with neighboring Lisle Township to share road services. Some of those residents - who have feared cuts to street sweeping, leaf collection and brush pickup that were included in Naperville's service proposal - said they worry about who will take the highway commissioner role if Wojtasiak doesn't seek re-election. The position, some said, could go to a "political crony" or someone supportive of the city's proposal for road services.
Wojtasiak said the best way to counter that fear is to elect township trustees who would favor returning the highway commissioner's compensation to a full-time level.
"We need to get representation from unincorporated areas on the township board," he said.
Meanwhile, the township supervisor's salary will remain flat at $39,000 a year, as will the salaries for township clerk at $20,000 a year and trustees at $6,500 a year. The township assessor's salary will increase from $108,242 to $112,000.