Mount Prospect gives village manager contract extension, 4% raise

Citing a long list of accomplishments over the past year, Mount Prospect trustees on Tuesday gave Village Manager Michael Cassady a contract extension through 2027, a 4% pay raise and a $22,000 bonus.

Cassady, the village manager since 2015, will be paid a $256,620 salary with the pay hike. He also will have his vacation time increased from 24 to 28 days and be compensated for any unused sick time when he steps down, under the new agreement.

"He certainly has done an outstanding job moving this village forward," Mayor Paul Hoefert said. "He has done a great job this past year and, frankly, since he arrived with us six years ago."

In a news release announcing the extension, the mayor and village board noted accomplishments such as new investment in downtown, including the Prospect Place and HQ Residences mixed-use developments. Also noted was the $2.5 billion redevelopment of the former United Airlines campus as a data center complex.

"The progress we have seen from economic development initiatives and effective financial practices (has) allowed the village to keep our property tax levies flat since 2019," Hoefert said in the announcement.

The only trustee to vote against the agreement was Augie Filippone.

"This is a personnel topic," he said of his vote. "I will respect the privacy of the employee, in this case Mr. Cassady, as well as the board in the process."

Cassady thanked the mayor and village board "for their confidence in me and our leadership team."

"We have developed an organizational culture of trust and respect that will allow us to accomplish our goals and exceed the expectations of our residents in 2022 and beyond," he said in the statement. "We look forward to making measurable progress on important initiatives this year, including (diversity, equity and inclusion), fire and EMS response improvements and implementation of our Connect South Mount Prospect plan."