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Will County board sets public defender pay at 90% of state’s attorney salary
Summary
The executive committee voted to set the public defender’s salary at 90% of the state’s attorney’s salary, preserving the state contribution formula; staff said the state sets the state's attorney pay and counties determine the public defender rate annually.
Will County’s executive committee on June 12 voted to set the county’s public defender salary at 90% of the state’s attorney’s salary, preserving the statutory formula that permits the state to contribute a portion of public defender pay.
State’s Attorney Mary Tetrault explained the mechanics to the committee: the General Assembly sets the state’s attorney salary and the county board sets the public defender salary each year. "If it is less than 90%, then the county board is obligated to pay the entire salary," she said. The committee moved and seconded a resolution to set the public defender salary at the 90% level, and the motion carried by voice vote.
Committee members asked how the state determines the state’s attorney pay and whether that formula varies by county size; Tetrault said salaries are set by statute and can vary by county population category. Members also clarified that the action concerns the public defender salary level (the appointed chief public defender) rather than the entire public defender office budget or staffing.
The vote continues the county’s prior practice of aligning the appointed public defender’s pay with a percentage of the state’s attorney salary so that the state shares part of the cost. The committee did not change policy beyond setting the salary for the coming year.
