Danville elected officials' salary bumps vote postponed

Jun. 21—DANVILLE — As candidates wanting to run for mayor, treasurer and aldermen in next year's city election can start filing later this year, the Danville City Council Tuesday night postponed action on approving salary increases for the next four years for the positions.

The council voted 14-0 to postpone action until its July 19 meeting.

Ward 4 Alderwoman Tricia Teague suggested a mayor salary of $95,000 and $500 to $1,000 a month payment for aldermen. This is a higher amount for aldermen but lower amount for mayor than what was proposed by Ward 7 Alderman and Vice Mayor Bob Iverson.

Ward 1 Alderman Brenda Brown said she thinks $10,000 a year increases in years two through four for the mayor are a bit much, after an initial proposed $20,000 increase for the first year, as Iverson proposes.

The city council's Public Works Committee voted 7-0 last week in favor of recommending salary increases for mayor, treasurer and aldermen for 2023 to 2027.

Iverson proposed the mayor's salary increase from $75,000 to $95,000 the first year in 2023-2024, $105,000 the second year, $115,000 for the third year and $125,000 the fourth year.

The city treasurer's salary would increase from $45,000 to $50,000 the first year, $55,000 the second year, $60,000 the third year and $65,000 the fourth year. The treasurer also receives about a $15,000 pension fund work stipend.

Alderman pay would increase from $225 a month to $300 a month, or $3,600 a year for each of the four years.

No alderperson would receive a salary for any year in which he or she is receiving a pension benefit from Illinois Municipal Retirement Fund.

Teague looked at other similar-sized cities with mayors and no city administrators. Her opinion is the proposed increases are too high for mayor and too low for aldermen. She doesn't see how the city can justify such large yearly increases for mayor when compared with Danville's median income and home values. Some similar-sized city's mayor salaries are about $90,000 and above. She said offering higher alderman salaries could help with uncontested elections or no one running in a race.

She added that some cities don't have a treasurer or salaries are all over the board for treasurer, so she didn't have a strong opinion on that salary.

Mayor Rickey Williams Jr. said the mayor is the chief executive officer of the city, and most department heads and other city employees, such as the police and fire chiefs at $125,000-plus, make more than the mayor.

Williams said he might not be the city's next mayor if the public would choose someone else.

He said the housing authority director, and principals and the director of food service with Danville School District 118 make more than the mayor, with salaries around $115,000 to $125,000.

He said if the city wants a good quality mayor, he would hope the salary would increase every year.

For mayor, treasurer and 14 aldermen, who serve four-year terms, and with seven aldermen elected in 2023 and the other seven elected in 2025, salaries must be set by ordinance for elected officers "at least 180 days before the beginning of the terms of the officers whose compensation is to be fixed," according to city ordinance. The new terms run May 1, 2023 to April 30, 2027.

When aldermen discussed elected official salaries four years ago, they considered salaries of mayor, treasurer, aldermen and adding a part-time mayor salary in the event a referendum passed to go to a full-time city manager and part-time mayor form of city government The public voted down the referendum.

The full-time mayor and treasurer salaries had been the same since 2011. Aldermen pay also hasn't changed for more than 16 years.

Some aldermen four years ago agreed that the salaries should stay in line with usual 3 percent city employee increases. A couple others four years ago had suggested $2,000 increases a year for the mayor, which would have brought the salary up to $81,000.

Aldermen in 2018 approved the salaries of: $75,000 for full-time mayor, up from $73,000, for the first year and frozen at $75,000 the next three years to 2022; $45,000 for city treasurer, up from $43,500, for the first year and then frozen to 2022; and leaving the aldermen pay the same at $225 a month.

Due to the mayor's and other elected officials' duties, and inflation, aldermen now are supporting salary increases, with the biggest jump for mayor, prior to the April 3, 2023 election.

Iverson initially proposed the salary increases. He said he started working on the proposal some time back and got encouragement from Ward 5 Alderman and Public Works Committee Chairman Mike Puhr to look further into it.

"The mayor's position, I think, is way underfunded considering the responsibilities and demands of the job. We pay the mayor's position in Danville basically like it was a part-time job. It's not. Responsibilities are every day, 24 hours a day. The demands for the mayor of Danville are always increasing because of state and federal demands, natural disasters, demolitions... economic swings and hey, even a pandemic ..." Iverson said.

Iverson said the mayor is paid "far less" than other professionals in Danville. The salary is way below where it should be, he said.

He said aldermen have been adjusting the city's budget to "keep good people by offering good wages." He thinks the same should be done for the mayor and treasurer's positions.

Iverson said it's not a vote about a specific mayor or treasurer.

"This is not a Rickey Williams issue one way or another. I think the mayor has done a commendable job but that's not what this is about," he said.

This is the mayor, treasurer and aldermen for the future, he said.

The first year will be the hardest and biggest jump because the salary started low, he added of the mayor salary. The other years are smaller increases.

"This is just common courtesy," Iverson said about the jobs they've done, and they should be compensated for.

In other business Tuesday night, Careth Klewicki was sworn in as the new city treasurer. She was appointed by Williams, with approval by the city council, to fill Stephanie Wilson's unexpired term. City treasurer is again elected next year.

According to Mayor Williams, "She has great character and integrity as well as an impeccable work ethic and solid financial skillset."

Klewicki worked as accounts payable administrator for several years in the city's finance department. She worked with the previous treasurer and the comptroller.

"I worked with the treasurer to create monthly credit transaction reports. I reviewed the treasurer's documentation for pension checks and investments and then printed the checks," she stated in a memo to alderman, regarding her skills.

Her current role is Director of Community Development Institute (Head Start) in Vermilion, Ford and Iroquois counties.

She also worked as an office manager for Wright's Heating & Air, and has an associate's degree from Danville Area Community College in health information technology and a Bachelor's degree from Bethel University in human services.

"I am committed to the city of Danville. I have lived in Danville my whole life and served since childhood in many capacities. This is my home, and these are my people. I feel a responsibility to use every skill that I possess to push Danville to its very best for the beautiful people that live here and the legacy of those before me. I know that I can be treasurer and do the job well. It would be a privilege to serve alongside you all and be back at one of my favorite places, city hall," Klewicki stated.

She plans to start next month.

In fiscal year reports, Mayor Williams reported the city tore down 108 structures last year, but unfortunately has 1,000 more to go.

In audience comments, 86-year-old Ed Strahl, said about elected officials' salaries, the mayor could use the money as could others. When the city continues to expand spending, he doesn't want the council to raise taxes a year from now.

He said the city doesn't have a population of 42,000 anymore and it can't afford to raise taxes on people who don't have the money and end up leaving Danville.

In other business, the council:

* Authorized purchase of the Darktrace Managed Detection and Response Security Monitoring for $254,408 over four years due to security gaps in the city's system.

* Amended the ADA paratransit service agreement with CRIS Rural Mass Transit district regarding the fuel provision and taking away the $305 monthly reimbursement to CRIS for diesel fuel due to CRIS only having one vehicle powered by diesel and the cost exceeding their monthly usage; and updated the procurement and purchasing policies and procedures for Danville Mass Transit in connection with federal transit administration grants.

* Approved an American Rescue Plan Act Spending Plan for Danville Mass Transit funds.

* Approved purchasing real estate at 901 and 903 Oak Street and 207 W. Fairchild St. for community improvement, which used to be a children's clothing store near Carle on Fairchild. Payment would come from: $26,665 from Midtown TIF and $13,335 from community reinvestment to George Latinovich.

* Amended the fiscal year 2022-2023 budget for Community Development Block Grant funds and approved Community Development Block Grant Annual Action Plan for $1.018 million for program year 2022.

* Approved a $238,962 Lynch Road special services area 3290 E. Main St. detention basin maintenance contract with Schomburg and Schomburg Construction Inc. for the pond by Blue Cross Blue Shield.

* Approved a $419,167 contract with Owens Excavating for Midtown Tax Increment Financing district sidewalk improvements and amending the Midtown TIF budget and using reserves.

* Approved a $266,920 agreement for engineering services with Clark-Dietz for improvement of Boiling Springs Road and amending the infrastructure development budget. The project includes drainage improvements, pavement rehabilitation and the addition of a sidewalk on the south side of the road from Lowe's. The city will seek grant funds and use infrastructure development and motor fuel tax funds for the estimated more than $1 million project. Construction could start in 2024.

* Approved a $76,000 professional services agreement with Shive-Hattery Inc. of South Bend, Ind. for a Fire Station Facility Study and Design. Public Works Director Carl Carpenter said there was a lower bid, around $69,000, but the company didn't have as many credentials. City Engineer Sam Cole said there have been training tower issues at station 3 and capacity issues for firefighters and different sexes at the stations, and they wanted to look at long-term needs. The city doesn't want to make repairs on a building that might not be in the right location relating to population and service calls and the addition of the casino and FedEx building, Cole and Carpenter said. "It's a long-term planning study," Cole said.

* Approved a $63,000 agreement for professional services with Farnsworth Group related to bidding and project management for the demolition of Bresee Tower and the former Vermilion County Courthouse Annex. Resident Strahl asked if the city could fix Bresee up some and then still try to find someone to fully renovate it. He'd hate to see the city lose the city's tallest building.