At its Thursday April 17 meeting, the Will County Board approved pay raises over the next four years for elected officials and board members.
The move was not without opposition. Before the raises were finalized, board member Judy Ogalla (R-Monee) introduced an amendment that would have reduced the amount of the raises by 50 percent. Other members said they had heard from constituents about their opposition to what they see as another tax increase due to the raises.
In the end, Ogalla’s amendment failed to pass, and no one offered any clear-cut plan on how the raises would be paid for. Will County Executive Jennifer Bertino-Tarrant pointed out no raises had been given to officials and board members for 18 years. She noted that she does not participate in the county-paid health coverage and knows of others who don’t, then suggested those savings would be sufficient to cover the cost of the increased salaries.
Under the approved raises, the Will County Clerk and Treasurer will both receive a salary of $116,000 annually, beginning in December of this year. That will increase to $125,000 by the end of 2028. The Will County Auditor, Circuit Clerk, Coroner, and Recorder of Deeds will receive a salary of $93,116 beginning in December, which will rise to $125,000 by the end of 2028. The county executive will see a salary increase to $93,116 by December, while rising to $128,750 by the end of 2028. County board members will see their salary increase to $28,000 annually by December and to $35,500 by the end of 2028.
In other business, the board approved special use permits for two more commercial solar facilities. The first will operate on 35 acres in Green Garden Township, which is now vacant property near the northeast corner of LaGrange Road and Manhattan-Monee Road. The second will operate on 19.2 acres in Will Township, at 5949 W. Eagle Lake Road near Peotone.
The board also approved the allocation of $767,249.48 in Motor Fuel Tax Funds for the resurfacing of County Line Road, from N 15000 East Road to State Line Road, by awarding a contract for the work to Iroquois Paving Corporation.