|
 Votes on salary increases
The board voted on salaries and raises for the circuit clerk and
coroner.
Board member Chuck Ruben made a motion to raise the Logan County
circuit clerk's salary $1,750 per year for the next four years. The
current salary is $60,000 per year.
Board member Kevin Bateman amended motion to set the salary at
$65,000 each year for the next four years as of December 1, 2016.
Bateman said moving forward, officials would know what the salary
for the position would be if they set the salary for the term.
Bateman said setting the amount for the term is more simplistic for
bookkeeping and the budget, and works out for both the officials and
the county.
There was some discussion about how the amount would affect the
county and who would gain.
Bateman said $65,000 would give Circuit Clerk Mary Kelley a
“significant bump” [from her $60,000 salary] the first year, “around
the same amount she would get” the second year, and a “wash” the
third year. He said the county “would gain a little bit the final
year.”
 Board member Pat O’Neill said he supported the amendment, but did
not believe it should be a set salary for future official running
for the office.
Bateman said for future officials, the salary would be set 180 days
before election. He said he would like to set salaries for every
elected office.
Bateman’s amended motion to set the set the salary at $65,000 each
year for the next four years passed 8-3 with Rick Aylesworth, Kevin
Bateman, Miles Craig, Emily Davenport, Bob Farmer, Pat O’Neill,
Chuck Ruben and Adam Schmidt voting yes. David Hepler, Gene Rohlfs
and Scott Schaffenacker voting no.
Ruben then amended the main motion of the $1,750 raise per year. His
amendment was also to set the salary at $65,000 per year for the
next four years. Ruben’s motion passed 10-1 with Rick Aylesworth,
Kevin Bateman, Miles Craig, Emily Davenport, Bob Farmer, Pat
O’Neill, Gene Rohlfs, Chuck Ruben, and Scott Schaffenacker and Adam
Schmidt voting yes. David Hepler voted no.
Ruben motioned to raise the Logan County coroner's salary $1,500 per
year for the next four years. The current salary is $30,798.
Bateman amended the motion to set the salary at $33,300 for the next
four years.
Bateman said the increase would be about 8.33 percent, which “sound
huge,” but it is an “8.33 percent increase once” and “is averaged
over four years.”
Ruben said there are Illinois Municipal Retirement Fund (IMRF)
ramifications for raises over six percent. If you make a raise over
six percent in anticipation of retirement, the county “has to pay
IMRF the difference between their original salary and new salary for
the life of the IMRF contribution.” It can cost the county a lot of
money.
Board member Gene Rohlfs then amended the motion to raise the
amount of the coroner’s salary three percent per year compounded
over the next four years. Rohlf’s amended motion failed with Rick
Aylesworth, Kevin Bateman, Miles Craig, Bob Farmer, David Hepler,
Pat O’Neill, Chuck Ruben, Scott Schaffenacker and Adam Schmidt
voting no. Emily Davenport abstained and Gene Rohlfs voted yes.
[to top of second column] |
Bateman’s amendment to set the coroner’s salary at $33,300 each year for the
next four years passed with Rick Aylesworth, Kevin Bateman, Miles Craig, Bob
Farmer, Pat O’Neill, Gene Rohlfs, Chuck Ruben, Scott Schaffenacker and Adam
Schmidt voting yes. Emily Davenport abstained and David Hepler voted no.
Ruben’s original motion as amended to set the coroner’s salary at $33,300 a year
over the next four years also passed with Rick Aylesworth, Kevin Bateman, Miles
Craig, Bob Farmer, Pat O’Neill, Gene Rohlfs, Chuck Ruben, Scott Schaffenacker,
and Adam Schmidt voting yes, Emily Davenport abstaining, and David Hepler voting
no.
Ruben motioned to approve the Logan County assessor's salary at $45,260 for the
next year.
Rohlfs amended the motion to put off the decision until August.
Bateman said he agreed with putting the decision off since he would like more
time to look into the assessor’s responsibilities.
Ruben asked Rohlfs to amend the amendment to take the issue back to committee
and then bring it back to the full board in August. Ruben said then they could
gather more information.
Schaffenacker asked what variables the board should be looking at between now
and August.
Ruben said he feels inadequately informed about what goes on in the assessor’s
office. He found issues that had “previously slipped through the cracks” and
“needed to be brought up to date.” Ruben said compensation was lowered when
Martinek was hired and they need to catch up.
Bateman said the office had changed drastically when Martinek took over. The
assessment process has undergone many changes and some personnel have left.
Bateman said, “I would feel more comfortable if I had some time to look in depth
at how it is run.”
Rohlf’s motion to refer the salary back to committee until August passed
unanimously.
Board members present were Rick Aylesworth, Kevin Bateman, Miles Craig, Emily
Davenport, Chairman David Hepler, Vice Chairman Bob Farmer, Pat O’Neill, Gene
Rohlfs, Chuck Ruben, Scott Schaffenacker and Adam Schmidt. Dave Blankenship was
absent.
The next regular board meeting is Tuesday, June 21, 2016 at 7:00 pm.
[Angela Reiners] |
