Evanston City Council could approve controversial salary increases Monday night for five elected city positions.
The city’s Compensation Committee recommended to the City Council in July that it implement pay increases for the aldermen, mayor, city clerk, township supervisor and township assessor. But the possible increases, especially for the aldermen and mayor, have drawn criticism due to the city’s lack of funds and the way members were appointed to the committee.
The aldermen, who work part-time, each earn $10,000 annually. Some receive more compensation than others depending on whether they select single-person or family health insurance coverage. Alds. Joseph Kent (6th) and Elizabeth Tisdahl (7th) do not receive health insurance through the city.
Two new plans would try to correct the discrepancies. One plan would raise the aldermen’s salary to $10,600 to compensate for inflation if the benefits system remains the same.
Another plan would increase salaries to $15,000, but would require aldermen to pay higher insurance premiums.
“We only suggested the substantial increases if they rearrange the way they pay for medical insurance,” said former Ald. Stephen Engelman, who served on the committee.
Any approved increases would apply to officials elected in next spring’s municipal elections. Illinois state law prevents the current council from voting on its own salary.
The City Council approved salary increases from $3,600 to $6,500 in 1993 and from $6,500 to $10,000 in 2000.
If the 1993 salaries had been increased only to compensate for inflation, the aldermen would receive a $4,731 salary today, according to the U.S. Department of Labor.
At last week’s council meeting, Ald. Arthur Newman (1st) questioned the independence of the committee, whose members were all appointed by the mayor. The aldermen and city clerk had the opportunity to recommend people to the committee.
“The group here — no matter what anyone says — is not truly independent,” said Newman, who did not recommend anyone for the committee. “They have certain political allegiances.”
Ald. Steven Bernstein (4th), who also did not recommend anyone to the committee, said Tuesday that “the committee met before they were confirmed by the council.”
The seven committee members included former aldermen, township assessors and township supervisors, Bernstein said.
But City Clerk Mary Morris, whose salary — if she chooses to run again — could increase from $45,000 to $51,000, defended on Thursday her decision to recommend someone to the committee.
“I did not recommend a close friend or a political ally,” said Morris, who works full-time for the city. “I thought the person was a fair and good business person and would look at it objectively. I didn’t say anything to that person, like ‘Oh, I want a raise.'”
Morris said on Thursday she has not decided if she will run again next spring.
Mayor Lorraine H. Morton declined to comment on the salary increases.
City attorney Jack Siegel said no state law specifies how or if a city can create a compensation committee.
Other aldermen cited budget concerns when blasting the proposed increases, which would total $59,000.
“In the City of Evanston, $50,000 is a police officer on the corner,” Newman said.
The Village of Oak Park, a suburb west of Chicago, last raised the salaries of its trustees in 1999 to $7,200 with no medical benefits, according to Sandra Sokol, village clerk. A village finance committee composed of two or three trustees usually evaluates the salaries. In the recently approved salary hike for the village clerk, Sokol herself sent to the village board a memorandum that included figures from similar communities.
The Evanston City Council is scheduled to meet at 8:30 p.m. Monday at the Civic Center, 2100 Ridge Ave.
Reach Yuxing Zheng at [email protected].
