LaSalle County refers deputy director job requirements back to public safety committee amid concerns over pay and candidate pool

LaSalle County board members voted to refer revisions to the deputy director job description back to the public safety committee and later approved going into executive session to discuss compensation of specific employees under 5 ILCS 120/2(c).

A county staff member who presented a compensation study and applicant update told the board the county posted the deputy director position on Feb. 10 with a maximum salary of $54,000 and that, "to date, we have only two candidates." The presenter said the committee had asked for stricter education requirements — including a bachelor’s degree with years of experience — but that the posted pay range did not align with those requirements.

The comp study presented to the board compared LaSalle’s posted salary and stated education requirements with those in Aurora, Grundy, Kane, Kendall, McHenry and Will counties. The presenter said those comparables showed LaSalle’s deputy director pay lagged other entities and recommended starting the position at about $65,000 to be competitive. The presenter also said the county will have saved approximately $12,300 in salary for the open position between Jan. 1 and March 15 because the position has been vacant.

Board members debated two separate issues: whether the education and experience language should require a bachelor’s degree plus specified years of Emergency Management Agency (EMA) experience, and whether the county could or should raise the posted salary to attract candidates. Several board members said the wording linking a required degree with a specific years-of-experience threshold would limit the applicant pool. One board member said the county should prefer a bachelor’s degree rather than require it, to allow experienced applicants with associate degrees or other relevant credentials to be considered.

Others cautioned that raising the posted salary immediately would affect other positions and the budget. One board member said changes to pay levels should be considered in the next budget cycle if the board wanted to increase base salaries.

After discussion the board made a motion to refer the job description and the committee’s education and experience requirements back to the public safety committee for reconsideration. The motion was made by Mike and seconded by Tom; the motion carried on a voice vote.

Later in the meeting the board approved a motion to move into executive session under 5 ILCS 120/2(c) "for compensation of specific employees." James moved to enter executive session, Tina seconded, and the board approved the motion in a roll-call vote with Tom, Tina, Joe, Kathy, Mike and James recorded as voting "Aye." The chair stated the motion carried.

The board did not take a public vote on any salary changes for the deputy director during the open session; instead, members referred the job description back to the public safety committee and then went into executive session to discuss compensation matters.

The presenter provided a handout summarizing comparables and qualifications; the handout and the comp study were cited during discussion but specific language the committee will send back to the public safety committee was not finalized in open session. The number of applicants, posted salary, recommended salary and the Jan. 1–March 15 payroll saving were the primary details disclosed publicly.