Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Personnel Compensation topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
North Chicago committee backs job reclassifications, discusses step increases for city employees
Summary
City human resources officials presented proposed job reclassifications and a grade change that would raise a city HR position and a building-inspections manager salary range; aldermen discussed timing, performance expectations and whether to send the measure for a council vote.
North Chicago’s Human Resources Committee on June 2 reviewed proposed reclassifications that would change a finance position title to senior accountant and move a building-inspections manager position to a higher pay grade, and members discussed the timing and oversight tied to step increases.
The committee’s memo recommended renaming the finance role from financial analyst to senior accountant to reflect duties such as bank and account reconciliations. Human Resources Director Liz Black told the committee the position “is more of a senior accountant for financial records and bank reconciliations” than a forecasting or budgeting role.
The committee was also asked to reclassify the building inspections manager from grade 19 to grade 26. Liz Black said the change is based on a comprehensive review and market benchmarks and that the reclassification would “help the director dedicate more time to actual business development within the community.”
Mayor Leon Rockingham Jr. and multiple aldermen pressed for clarity on pay impacts and review processes. Black said a move from grade 25 to 26 carries an overall range up to about $149,000 and that the immediate step increase being discussed for the HR position (moving the position to step 6) would be “approximately $22,800.” The committee clarified those increases are phased over years and are tied to steps within the grade.
Aldermen repeatedly emphasized that step or merit increases should be linked to documented performance expectations. “When you get people raises, you got to have expectation about what their job performed,” one alderman said, and committee members asked for documentation showing annual reviews and benchmarks. Black and the mayor said department heads receive annual performance reviews and that reclassification decisions are about the job’s duties, not individual performance.
Committee members debated whether to bring the ordinance to the full council agenda for a vote at the next meeting. The chair and others signaled they would place the compensation ordinance on the June 16 council meeting agenda for a vote and requested that performance benchmarks and budget impacts be included in committee materials.
No formal vote on the ordinance was taken in committee; members moved to forward the item to the next council meeting for consideration.
