Wheeling trustees, mayor getting raises

Wheeling village board members will be getting their first raises in more than a decade starting Jan. 1.

Trustees' compensation will double, from $3,000 to $6,000. Village President Judy Abruscato's annual stipend will go from $8,000 to $11,000 and the village clerk's stipend from $6,000 to $7,000.

Wheeling elected officials get a flat annual stipend, not a salary.

The pay increases were actually approved in 2008, but the village board postponed the raises for several years due to the economy.

The discussion to enact the raises came at an Oct. 3 meeting, but was not on the night's agenda, and took place after the board came out of executive session. The cameras that film meetings for the local access channel were already turned off.

Village Manager Jon Sfondilis said that is typical unless action items are planned for after executive session.

Sfondilis said it wasn't necessary for the action to be on the agenda because it was approved three years ago, in November 2008. Nor does he think this was done in the dark, since the discussion took place in public session and was part of the minutes.

“It wasn't trying to get away with anything,” Sfondilis said. “People have the opportunity to stay, we don't lock the doors. This was not a matter of action taken behind closed doors.”

In 2008, the trustees decided not to take the raises because of the financial issues the village and the nation were facing, Trustee Dean Argiris said.

“It was the right thing to do. We asked our staff not to take raises so how could we take ours?” he said.

But now, Argiris said, Wheeling's situation is better.

“Our finances are good, our budget is fine,” Argiris said.

The $22,000 for the increases was factored into the 2012 budget, which also includes no property tax levy increase. There is a predicted budget deficit for next year, but Argiris said the 2011 budget also projected a deficit but is now expected to end the year with nearly an $80,000 surplus.

To bring the budget deficit down from a projected $3.1 million to under $1 million, trustees made cuts last month to firefighter overtime and lessened the contributions to certain village funds, all of which were changes recommended by staff and that officials say will not change the level of services for residents.

Argiris said trustees have been making $3,000 a year since the last raise in 2001, and before that it was $1,500. He added that a 100 percent raise isn't unusual for village elected officials since raises are taken so sparingly.

Trustee Bill Hein said he didn't see anything wrong with the stipend increase and wasn't concerned about the amount of money.

“I don't even know how much it is to be honest with you,” Hein said. “I didn't take this position because of the money.”

Trustee Ken Brady said he is fine with the increase because he puts much of his own time and money into the job. For all the hours he puts in, Brady said, his pay winds up being less than minimum wage, but he doesn't mind.

“It's more than those couple hours we have meetings, to do your job right you have to spend the time,” Brady said.

Brady said he feels the raises are reasonable compared to how other towns compensate elected officials.

Last year the six councilmen in Palatine made about $12,000 and Mayor Jim Schwantz made about $21,000. Both Palatine and Schaumburg officials are paid additional money for every meeting they attend.

Schaumburg village trustees make between $10,000 and $11,000 and Schaumburg Mayor Al Larsen made $38,678 from his base pay and meeting attendance last year, said Schaumburg Village Manager Ken Fritz.

Arlington Heights trustees are compensated $2,800 annually and Village President Arlene Mulder is set to make $8,500 a year, but does not take a stipend.

Some suburbs, including Elk Grove Village, also provide benefits for elected officials, Wheeling does not.

Although the economy still has not fully recovered from the recession, after 10 years at the same rates, Brady and other trustees said the 2012 increases aren't enough to make or break the city budget.

“Is there ever a right time?” Brady asked.