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Trustees approve ordinance setting village manager pay; board also OKs two warrants
Summary
On March 20, 2025, the Village of Hanover Park Board of Trustees approved Ordinance 785, which fixes the village manager's salary, deferred-compensation and automobile allowance, and approved two warrant payments. One trustee voted no and one abstained during the ordinance vote after a brief debate about data and process.
The Village of Hanover Park Board of Trustees on March 20, 2025 approved an ordinance setting the salary, deferred compensation and automobile allowance for the village manager and authorized two warrant payments.
Trustee Gutierrez opposed the ordinance, saying the board lacked data and a methodical, research-based discussion. "I believe in fair compensation, but I believe that the proposal before us is disproportionate as it lacked research based, researched based data driven information, for the Board," Gutierrez said. "And additionally, for several years now, I've asked for there to be a comprehensive board discussion. And for several years now, my request has not come to fruition. So I truly hope that moving forward, we can move forward in a way where we have a methodical research base...data driven matter." Gutierrez later abstained from the final vote, saying she "wasn't here during the discussion for this."
The ordinance motion was approved despite that opposition. Recorder roll calls show five trustees voted yes, one no and one abstention; the chair declared the motion passed. The board also approved two warrant payments: a warrant dated 03/20/2025 and a separate listing of warrants paid in advance for 02/27/2025 through 03/13/2025.
Why it matters: The ordinance directly sets compensation components for the village manager and therefore affects personnel budgets and ongoing payroll obligations. Trustees framed part of the debate as a concern about process and the need for a data-driven review before making larger compensation decisions.
Votes at a glance
- Ordinance 785 — "An ordinance fixing the salary, deferred compensation, and automobile allowance of the village manager." Outcome: approved. Tally: Yes 5, No 1, Abstain 1. Trustee Gutierrez voiced opposition during discussion and abstained on the vote; Trustee Bencoli voted no.
- Warrant approval (03/20/2025) — Amount: $724,539.90. Outcome: approved by roll call (unanimous among members voting on that motion).
- Warrants paid in advance (02/27/2025–03/13/2025) — Amount: $724,835.52. Outcome: approved by roll call (unanimous among members voting on that motion).
What stayed in discussion: Several trustees said they support fair compensation for village staff, but Gutierrez emphasized a lack of board-level, data-driven analysis and asked that future compensation actions follow a more methodical review, including strategic planning by the incoming board.
No additional fiscal threshold or statutory citation was presented on the record during the discussion; trustees noted the item was before them as part of the consent/regular agenda and voted accordingly.
Ending
The board moved on after approving the ordinance and warrants. No executive session was held at the meeting.
