The Kane County Board on Tuesday passed an ordinance that basically freezes the salaries for County Board members and elected officials, including the sheriff, county clerk and treasurer, for the duration of their upcoming terms.

Ordinance 14 – 290 said the action was taken because “the County Board believes it is prudent to freeze elected officials’ salaries in light of increases in expenditures outpacing increases in revenues.” You can read the ordinance text in the agenda packet for the Oct. 14 County Board meeting.

The salary of the members of the County Board was fixed at $25,000 per annum, payable in bi-weekly installments, effective Dec. 1, 2016, and again on Dec. 1, 2017. County Board members from odd-numbered districts are up for election on the Nov. 4 ballot.

The Kane County sheriff, county clerk and treasurer positions all are up for election on the Nov. 4 ballot. The executive summary in the packet says the purpose of the ordinance is to clarify that the current salaries of those elected officials “will continue unchanged throughout the duration of their four-year terms beginning Dec. 1, 2014.”

• The sheriff’s salary is fixed at $124,750 per annum payable in bi-weekly installments.
• The salary of the Kane County clerk is fixed at $100,000.
• The salary of the Kane County treasurer is fixed at $100,000.

District 8 board member Jesse Vazquez expressed concern that a document provided in the agenda packet included each board member’s attendance record from January through September 2014. He questioned whether the report was audited and pointed out that it does not include attendance at or compensation from Kane County Forest Preserve District meetings. In Kane County, board members serve on both the County Board and the Forest Preserve Commission.

District 11 board member Mike Donahue, who is not seeking reelection on Nov. 4, noted that County Board members’ total compensation ranges from more than $47,000 to less than $27,000, depending on whether the board member is receiving medical, dental, insurance and retirement benefits.

“I spoke about this in my first term,” he said. “When we run for County Board, we shouldn’t run for the salary or the benefits. We ought to consider eliminating benefits, because I don’t think that should be a primary or even a secondary consideration on whether to seek office. We should be citizen legislators at a local level.”