November 21, 2024
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Joliet Mayor D’Arcy distances himself from council pay hikes

Mayor says he first heard of proposal before it went to committee last week

By Bob Okon
Joliet Mayor Terry D’Arcy speaks at a vaping press conference at Joliet City Hall on Tuesday, August 13, 2024. The conference addressed the city’s crack down on businesses selling vaping products to underage children, the school districts challenges identifying vaping devices in school and a new bill that makes it illegal in Illinois to buy vaping products online and shipped to anyone unless it’s for a licensed retailer or business.

Joliet Mayor Terry D’Arcy (Gary Middendorf)

Joliet Mayor Terry D’Arcy on Monday said he learned of a plan to raise pay for the office of mayor and City Council members shortly before it went to a committee for review last week.

The proposal that goes to the council for a vote on Tuesday would increase pay 21% after the next elections and put in place automatic annual 2% increases in the future.

“This was brought to my attention the day before Legislative (Committee), and I said I didn’t think it was a good idea,” D’Arcy said at a workshop meeting where the council reviewed the plan.

D’Arcy did not say how he would vote, and the Legislative Committee on Thursday voted 3-0 to recommend approval for the plan.

“I don’t know how it got championed,” D’Arcy said of the pay plan. “I heard about this the last second, and then it went to committee.”

joliet, government

A sign points to the entrance of the Joliet City Council chambers at City Hall. (Alex Ortiz)

The pay hikes would not go into effect while D’Arcy and council members are serving their current term in office. Illinois law bars elected officials from increasing their pay while in office.

The mayor’s pay would go to $40,250 after the 2027 election under the proposal. The mayor also receives $7,000 as liquor commissioner and that would stay the same.

“I don’t know how it got championed. I heard about this the last second, and then it went to committee.”

—  Joliet Mayor Terry D'arcy

Pay for council members would increase to $23,000 for those elected in the next council-at-large election in 2025 and those elected as district council members in 2027.

Mayor and council offices in Joliet are considered part-time positions because the city operates under a city manager form of government. The city manager, not the mayor, is the chief administrative officer for Joliet. The mayor and council members have no official administrative duties other than the mayor’s role as liquor commissioner.

The last City Council pay increase was in 2001.

Council at Large Jan Hallums Quillman sits in on a hearing on the validity of nominating petitions of two City Council candidates at the Joliet City Electoral Board meeting on January 4th.

Councilwoman Jan Quillman said the mayor and City Council members took pay cuts in 2011 after because of the impact of the recession on city finances. (Gary Middendorf – gmiddendorf@shawmedia/Gary Middendorf)

In 2011, pay for mayor was reduced from $35,000 to the current level of $33,250 and for council members from $20,000 to the current level of $19,000.

Councilwoman Jan Quillman said the pay cuts were approved amid the “financial crisis” created by the 2008 recession.

“We were asking our staff to take cuts in pay,” Quillman said. “We also decided to take cuts in pay.”

In addition to their pay, council members are also eligible for the same health insurance and pension benefits as city employees.

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