By Eric Stock
BLOOMINGTON – McLean County Board members have voted to approve two-percent annual pay increases for auditor, circuit clerk and coroner but voted against raising the pay of future county board members.
Board member Carlo Robustelli recommend the pay freeze for 2019 and 2020, instead of the two-percent hike staff recommended, citing state budget uncertainty.
“I think this is the least we can do to say, at this time it’s just not wise to move forward with a pay increase,” Robustelli said. “We are operating in a very irrational and uncertain world.”
Member Paul Segobiano said don’t bring the state into this discussion.
“It’s unfair that we compare the County Board to what’s going on in Springfield or Washington D.C.,” Segobiano said. “This is a very solvent county and its based on the fact that this board is a conservative board.”
The pay freeze passed in a 12-6 vote. Board members will receive $4,805 in pay in 2017 and are due a base salary of $4,900 in 2018-2020. Members of the board’s Executive Committee get $5,640 annually. The County Board Chairman’s salary is $19,139.
In approving pay raises for auditor, coroner and circuit clerk, the County Board rejected a call to set the raises at 1.5 percent to mirror those that county workers get. Board member David Selzer said that’s not a fair comparison.
“Our union represented employees are not getting 1.5 percent pay raise,” Selzer said. “They get step increases. Their average increases is more than 1.5 percent and that is the problem I have right now. We are not operating under fact.”
County Administrator Bill Wasson confirmed step and merit increases push that average raise for union and non-union county workers beyond 2 percent.
Member Benjamin Owens proposed a decrease in the coroner’s salary as Kathy Davis is a first-term officeholder.
“Why should a newly-elected official make the same as the person they replaced, whether it be through election or defeat in an election or just running for a new election,” Owens said.
Owens withdrew the motion after it was slammed by colleagues and said it was nothing personal against the incumbent.
The coroner and auditor are set to make $93,577 and the circuit clerk will get $98,255. The 2-percent increases the board approved match those previously given to the county clerk, sheriff and treasurer.
Eric Stock can be reached at [email protected].
