Danvile City Council Considers Pay Raises, Wage Freezes

The Danville City Council plans to vote on a proposal Tuesday night to raise the salaries of the city's mayor and treasurer.

The council's public works committee last week shot down a measure to boost the mayor's salary from $73,000 to $77,000 and the treasurer's salary from $43,500 to $48,000. These pay increase would be coupled with wage freezes over a four year period. Instead, the committee voted to support a four-year wage freeze with no pay hike. The measure is now headed to the full council.

According to Illinois law, the salaries of elected officials must be set before an election takes place. Alderman Rickie Williams Jr., Ward 1, is running for mayor. He said pay raises to the city's top administrators cannot be justified as the city deals with crippling budget problems and double-digit unemployment.

"If we were to authorize these salary increases, it makes it difficult for us to then go and tell workers that they won't receive salary increases if we provide them to the administration," Williams said.

Alderman William Gilbert, Ward 7, said he understands why members of the council would be apprehensive about giving more money to city officials given the current economic situation, but Gilbert said he would support one.

"I think there's areas in our budget that still need to be trimmed," Gilbert said. "A $4,000 increase over the matter of four years, I don't really see that as breaking our budget."

Gilbert said the city should align itself in a position where it can attract qualified leaders by offering competitive salaries.

The city council will also consider paying alderman based on the number of council meetings they attend, rather than a flat monthly $225 stipend.