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TO: The Mayor and City Council
FROM: City Staff
DATE: October 4, 2024
SUBJECT:
Setting the compensation of the City's Elected Officials.
PURPOSE:
To establish the compensation of the Aldermen to be elected in and after May of 2025.
BACKGROUND:
Since at least 1848, Illinois has constitutionally required that the compensation of public officers be established prior to the commencement of their term of office. Section 9(b) of Article VII of the present Illinois Constitution expressly provides that "[a]n increase or decrease in the salary of an elected officer of any unit of local government shall not take effect during the term for which that officer is elected. For this reason no local elected official may ever vote to increase (or decrease) his or her own compensation - only the compensation of the person elected by the public to hold the office at the start of the next term.
To ensure that the voters have the right to weigh in on changes to elected official compensation and to prohibit post-election lame duck adjustments, the Illinois General Assembly has further required that any changes to a local elected officer's compensation be fixed at least 180 days prior to the commencement of a term in office. The Illinois Municipal Code vests the responsibility of establishing the compensation of municipal officers in each municipality's corporate authorities, which in the case of the City, is the City Council.
The Illinois Municipal Code as well as our own Code of Ordinances provides that elected City officers begin their term no earlier than the first regular or special meeting of the City Council in May following the election. The first regular meeting of the City Council in May of 2025 is scheduled to occur on Tuesday, May 13, 2025. This requires the Council to approve adjustments to the salaries of officers elected in 2025 no later than Tuesday, November 12, 2024. If no adjustments are made by this time, the salary schedule adopted by the City Council in 2000 will remain in effect.
The 2020 schedule dictated the salaries of the aldermen will increase by 3% in 2025 and 2026 and 5% thereafter; with the per meeting stipend fixed at $90/meeting.
DISCUSSION:
The proposed levels of compensation were developed and recommended by the Finance Committee. The Finance Committee opted to use an outside firm (Korn Ferry) to conduct a survey of comparable cities, which was completed in August of 2024. Prior to the study, staff provided information in past practice and general information regarding local comparables. The Finance Committee discussed Korn Ferry's findings at a regularly scheduled meeting on Thursday, August 15, 2024, a member of Korn Ferry was present virtually to answer questions.
The Finance Committee requested additional information from Korn Ferry, which was provided and discussed at the Thursday, August 29th meeting. The Committee held the item again until the Thursday, September 12th meeting, where recommendations were formulated and are outlined below.
The Finance Committee recommended increasing the salaries of the aldermen on a 10%-5%-5%-5% structure, effective with the inauguration of aldermen in 2026 as follows:
From June 1, 2027, through May 31, 2028, $28,146.80;
From June 1, 2028, through May 31, 2029, $29,554.14
From June 1, 2029, through May 31, 2030, $31,031.85; and
From June 1, 2030, and continuing thereafter, $32,583.44; and further
The $90 stipend effective June 1, 2023 the aldermen receive for attending official meetings of the City Council and its committees will remain the same.
Following the Finance Committee's recommendation of the above salary schedule, the Committee of the Whole and the City Council deliberated further on the matter and eventually determined that it would set the compensation of alderpersons to take effect on June 1, 2027, and on June 1, 2028, and defer further action on subsequent years until 2026. It also determined that effective June 1, 2027, the salary for each alderperson would increase by approximately 27% to $32,500.00. Effective June 1, 2028, the salaries will increase by an additional 5% to $34,125.00 and remain as set until subsequent action by the City Council.
IMPACT STATEMENT:
This ordinance establishes the compensation for the Aldermen as provided by law.
RECOMMENDATIONS:
That the Council deliberate on the proposed ordinance and takes whatever action it deems appropriate.
CITY OF AURORA, ILLINOIS
ORDINANCE NO. _________
DATE OF PASSAGE ________________
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An Ordinance setting the compensation of the alderpersons for the terms commencing in and after May of 2025 in accordance with the Illinois Municipal Code and the Local Government Officer Compensation Act.
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WHEREAS, the City of Aurora has a population of more than 25,000 persons and is, therefore, a home rule unit under subsection (a) of Section 6 of Article VII of the Illinois Constitution of 1970; and
WHEREAS, subject to said Section, a home rule unit may exercise any power and perform any function pertaining to its government and affairs for the protection of the public health, safety, morals, and welfare; and
WHEREAS, Section 3.1-50-5 of the Illinois Municipal Code provides that the salaries or other compensation of all municipal officers shall be fixed by ordinance; and
WHEREAS, Section 3.1-50-10 of the Illinois Municipal Code and Section 2 of the Local Government Officer Compensation Act provide that the salaries or other compensation of the elected officers must be fixed at least 180 days prior to the commencement of the terms of the officers whose compensation is to be fixed; and
WHEREAS, the City Council desires to set the compensation of its alderpersons for the terms commencing in and after May of 2025; and
WHEREAS, the commencement of the terms of said officers will not occur fewer than 180 days after the effective date of this Ordinance;
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT ORDAINED by the City Council of the City of Aurora, Illinois, as follows: that the annual compensation for the alderpersons for the terms commencing in and after May of 2025 shall be and hereby is set as follows:
From June 1, 2027, through May 31, 2028, twenty-nine thousand, two hundred fifty dollars and zero cents; and
From June 1, 2028, and continuing thereafter, thirty-four thousand, five hundred dollars and zero cents; and further
BE IT ORDAINED, in addition to the annual salaries set forth in this Ordinance, the compensation of the Aldermen shall include an amount of ninety dollars ($90.00) for attending each meeting of the City Council, and any committee thereof to which the Alderman is appointed, effective June 1, 2023, and continuing thereafter; and further
BE IT ORDAINED, that the City Council specifically intends that this Ordinance shall be read together with any previous enactments establishing the compensation of the City's elected officials and shall not be construed to revoke or repeal by implication or otherwise any previous enactment; and further
BE IT ORDAINED, that the City Council intends that nothing in this Ordinance shall be construed as effecting a change in the compensation of any of its elected officers during their present term of office.