County to vote assessor, coroner and circuit clerk salary adjustments

[May 12, 2016]  LINCOLN - On Tuesday, May 10, 2016, the Logan County Board Finance Committee held their monthly meeting. The main focus of their discussion was salaries and raises for the Logan County Assessor, Coroner, and Circuit Clerk.

To assist the Finance Committee as they considered her salary, County Assessor Denise Martinek provided the committee with a list from the Department of Revenue showing what other Illinois counties pay assessors. Martinek's salary is currently $43,940 a year.

Committee chairman Chuck Ruben said the salary is reviewed yearly and asked for feedback on the pay raise. He pointed out comparable sized counties such as DeWitt, Mason, Lawrence, and Boone, and said salaries are "all over the board." Ruben said Martinek's position is more of a management position than some others in the county.

Hasprey asked what the previous assessor made.

Ruben said the range was somewhere between $46,000 and 48,000.

Turner asked about changing the salary at budget renewal times.

Ruben said they could just do a two percent raise if that is what is chosen for employees at budget time.

Committee member Gene Rohlfs motioned for a three percent increase, which would bring Martinek's salary to $45,260. The motion will be brought forward at Thursday's Board Workshop.

The committee had a letter of request from Coroner Robert Thomas about his salary increase. Board Chairman David Hepler motioned for the raise as requested, which would be six percent, but no one seconded the motion.

Ruben said the coroner's salary is currently $30,798.

Rohlfs motioned to increase the coroner's salary $1500 per year for the next four years as they have been doing in previous years. Committee member David Blankenship seconded his motion.

Hepler said that amount would be closer to a five percent raise. Rohlfs said what Thomas had asked for was close to a seven percent raise, which he thought was a bit high. With the bigger raise, the coroner would be making $40,500 at the end of four years. With an increase of $1,500 per year, he would be making $36,798 at the end of the four years.

Ruben said raises are tough decisions. Some employees have smaller raises and may wonder why they only get one, two, or three percent when others are getting more. He said the people in the main offices have more responsibility as they manage their budgets and make the money stretch, so they deserve to be compensated.

For Circuit Clerk Mary Kelley, Hepler motioned for a five percent increase, which would be $3,000 a year for four years. Committee member Bob Farmer seconded the motion.

Kelley's current salary is $60,000. Ruben said the $3,000 increase per year would put her yearly salary at $72,000 at the end of four years.

Rohlfs amended the motion to $1,750 a year, which was seconded by Blankenship.

Ruben said that would bring Kelley's salary to $67,000 at the end of four years, which would be comparable to the pay in Livingston County. If the salary increased by $3,000 per year, the salary would be $72,000 at the end of four years.

Hepler said if the coroner gets a five percent increase, the board should do the same for the circuit clerk since both are long standing employees. He said the coroner's salary has gone up substantially during the time Thomas has been in office.

Ruben said the coroner's salary is much further behind other counties than the circuit clerk's salary.

Rohlfs said the coroner's salary seems to be on the "high end" since it is a part time job.

Guests were Vicki Dugan, Logan County Treasurer; Sally Turner, Logan County Clerk and Recorder; Denise Martinek, Logan County Assessor; Amy Kuhlman, Logan County Board Administrative Assistant; Katherine Yaple, Logan County Department of Public Health Finance Director; and Veronica Hasprey.

The Logan County Board will vote on the motions for the salaries at next week's Regular board meeting.

[Angela Reiners]