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Why Mundelein officials now have more money to attend events

Mundelein's elected officials now have a greater taxpayer-funded budget for attending functions as village representatives - but not all of them support the financial boost.

The village board on Monday voted 4-1 to increase the reimbursement limit for trustees and the village clerk to $500 annually, from $250. The mayor's annual reimbursement limit increased to $2,400, from $500.

Additionally, the board changed the policy for the funds to allow one trustee to transfer an unused portion of the annual allowance to other elected officials, as long as the recipients and the village administrator are notified in writing.

Trustee Dawn Abernathy was the lone critic of the allowance increase, saying the pay she and other elected officials receive for their service should be sufficient.

"We are paid by our constituents ... to go to events already," she said. "We are given a nice stipend."

Mundelein's trustees and clerk are paid $9,528 annually. The mayor is paid $23,800 annually.

Abernathy was particularly displeased by the mayor's more sizable allowance increase.

"I just don't think it's a necessary expense," she said.

Lentz insisted the change isn't another way to increase officials' compensation.

Rather, he said, it's money set aside "to encourage all our elected officials to represent our village at events around town and around Lake County."

Trustee Ray Semple was among those who backed the change. Some elected officials have to use paid vacation time if they take off from their full-time jobs to attend board-related functions, he explained.

"I don't think any of us take horrible advantage of every dime we're allocated," Semple said.

Semple also defended Lentz's access to the reimbursement funds, saying the number of event invitations the mayor receives "is mind-boggling" and far greater than those the trustees receive.

"I'm confident he's not going to take advantage of this," Semple said.

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