Resident urges board to revisit incoming commissioner pay after sharp cut in new salary resolution

Hugh Stiffley, a Williamson County resident who identified himself during the public-comment period, urged the Green County Board of Commissioners to revisit a recently passed salary resolution that he said sets the incoming commissioner’s pay at $40,000 with no eligibility for county health insurance. “It’s about half of what the current commissioners receive,” Stiffley said, and he called the change “unfair” and possibly in conflict with the Illinois Local Government Compensation Act.

Stiffley told the board the three current commissioners earn $79,954 a year plus a 3% cost-of-living adjustment and county health insurance, and he said the resolution approved May 19 treats the incoming officeholder much differently. He called the action potentially punitive and said it raises questions about conflict of interest and the appearance of political retaliation because one of the recently defeated primary candidates remained on the board when the change was adopted.

The resident asked the board to either align the incoming commissioner’s compensation with the office as it currently exists or publicly explain why the new officer would receive a substantially lower package. The transcript records no substantive response from the board during Stiffley’s comment; the record shows public comment concluded and the meeting moved on to other agenda items.

Why it matters: Salaries and benefits for elected offices shape who can afford to serve and are governed by Illinois law, which Stiffley cited during his remarks. The board did not use the public-comment time to provide an immediate explanation or a commitment to revisit the resolution.

What’s next: Stiffley asked the board to reconsider the May 19 resolution or to explain publicly the justification for the pay differential; the transcript does not record any follow-up vote or staff commitment to return this item to a future agenda.