Executive committee opens discussion on raises for countywide elected officials and county board members; no vote taken

The Will County Board Executive Committee discussed potential pay increases for countywide elected officials and county board members, with members framing the issue as one of recruitment, retention and equity.

Several members said salaries for countywide officials and board members have been stagnant for nearly two decades, making it harder for people who are not independently wealthy or retired to serve. "It is an equity issue," said Micah Freeman. "You shouldn't have to be independently wealthy to be able to serve on the board." Member Destiny Ortiz said the current pay structure makes service unsustainable for some younger members who lose wages at their full‑time jobs to attend board meetings.

Other members cautioned that raising pay for elected officials is politically sensitive. "I don't want to go back to my constituents and tell them I voted for pay increase for an elected person," one member said, while others argued a predictable, modest schedule of increases would be easier to manage than large, infrequent jumps.

County counsel and staff clarified the statutory constraints: salaries for elected county officers must be set at least 180 days before an election and a future board cannot be legally bound by a prior board’s salary decisions. Mary Tatro (State's Attorney’s Office) explained, "the statute simply indicates that the salaries must be set 180 days in advance of the election" and that no board can bind its successor.

Outcome: No vote was taken. Committee leaders were asked to discuss potential bipartisan approaches with caucus leadership and to bring numeric proposals to the Finance Committee at the next meeting for further study.