Lake County ends retirement plan contributions for board members
A divided Lake County Board on Tuesday ended the practice of contributing to a retirement fund for its members.
Existing balances aren't affected, but going forward the county no longer will contribute to the Illinois Municipal Retirement Fund accounts of the three participating county board members, Mary Ross Cunningham, Terry Wilke and Bill Durkin. The county has been contributing the equivalent of 4.5 percent of those members' salaries annually. Board members earn about $43,000 a year.
Though not a large amount in the big picture, supporters of the move - all but one of them Republican - said they have an obligation to constituents and taxpayers to hold the line on government pensions.
"We're not taking away anything from anybody," said board Member Michael Danforth, a Republican representing the southwestern corner of the county.
"We're just not contributing any further. It doesn't diminish a pension."
The vote followed a lengthy, lively and sometimes contentious discussion that included a proposal to delay a decision until a special meeting could be held Jan. 31. At one point, a 10-minute recess was called to interpret board rules.
Ultimately, the vote ended in a 10-10 tie, meaning the motion to continue county contributions failed.
Ten Democrats on the newly reconstituted county board voted in favor of the contributions. The nine Republicans voting against were joined by veteran Democratic board member Diane Hewitt, who represents portions of Waukegan and other northeastern communities. Democrat Paul Frank was absent.
"A lot of people thought it was pulled out of thin air and it wasn't," Hewitt said later Tuesday. She was a member of the board's finance committee that discussed the matter two years ago.
Illinois law requires the county board to pass a resolution within 90 days of an election declaring the eligibility of board members to participate in IMRF.
The contributions began to allow some members to become vested in the pension program, but the assumption was the county eventually would end its participation, Hewitt said.
"To me, it was a continuation of what was discussed and decided two years ago," she said. "It has nothing to do with being Democrat or Republican. I felt in my heart it was the right thing to do."
In order to be eligible, a board member must have been continuously active in the system before Jan. 17, 2017, work more than 1,000 hours per year and maintain and submit time sheets.
Several board members had opted out as a result. And because new board members elected in November are not eligible, only three of the 21 county board members were still enrolled.
Ross Cunningham, a Democrat representing portions of Waukegan and North Chicago, said she won't consider drawing from her pension while on the board.
"I feel like I'm being targeted," she said. "If you want to get rid of it because I'm in it, get rid of it. Don't come here acting like you're goody two shoes."