Arlington Heights village manager gets second straight 7% raise

Longtime Arlington Heights Village Manager Randy Recklaus, the village's day-to-day point person for negotiations with the Chicago Bears and area school districts over a new stadium at Arlington Park, is getting a 7% raise for a second consecutive year.

Recklaus' salary bump, to $281,701, was approved Monday night on the consent agenda by the nine-member elected board. The raise is retroactive to Nov. 10, following his annual performance evaluation in closed session with Mayor Tom Hayes and village trustees.

In awarding the raise, Hayes pointed to Recklaus' financial management resulting in a fifth consecutive year of no property tax levy increase, leadership getting the village through the pandemic, and continued village hall oversight of the racetrack redevelopment project.

Though much hasn't been said publicly in recent months, Recklaus is believed to be front and center in behind-closed-doors discussions to try to resolve a property tax dispute among the Bears, Palatine Township Elementary District 15, Northwest Suburban High School District 214 and Palatine-Schaumburg High School District 211.

“Randy's just done an outstanding job, and this is really something that he deserves to adequately compensate him and recognize his contributions to the village and to our goals and objectives,” Hayes said.

Recklaus got a 7% raise at this time last year, a 5% raise the year before, a 5% raise in 2020, a 4% raise in 2019, and a 4.5% raise in 2018.

Hired in November 2014, Recklaus is now in the middle of a four-year contract that will keep him in the top management position at village hall until Nov. 10, 2026.