The Vermilion County Board has reached new contract agreements with five of the seven bargaining units representing county employees. Bill Pickett has the story…
Jerry Hawker, chairman of the County Board’s Finance and Personnel Committee, explains votes taken during Tuesday evening’s meeting…
{AUDIO: “We now have everything ratified except the Teamsters contract with the Highway Department. And we’re working forward on that. I should be, I think, accomplished hopefully by next month. But all the others have been ratified. Basically, we gave a three-percent raise for each of three years, which is pretty consistent right now in the area.”}
The County Board also approved a salary package for those county officeholders who will be elected in November…
{AUDIO: “Everyone that’s being elected this fall, they also will be given a 3-percent raise. …That way everyone will be the same. The ones that were elected two years ago, we did the same thing. So, if we keep it like that all the time, the ones that were elected two years ago and the ones that are elected this year will make the same amount of money.”}
The new salary package for elected officials covers the Vermilion County Clerk, County Treasurer, Supervisor of Assessments, Board of Review members and County Board members, plus the County Board Chairman. It does not cover the Sheriff or Regional Superintendent of Schools even though those offices are also on the November ballot. The salaries for those two positions are set by the State of Illinois.
Under the new salary schedule approved by the County Board, the total compensation for the Treasurer, County Clerk, Supervisor of Assessments, and County Board Chairman will rise (in steps) from $93-thousand-463-dollars for the 2026-2027 fiscal year to $101-thousand-528-dollars by fiscal year 2029-2030. The Board of Review Chairman’s salary will rise from $29-thousand-136 dollars in the upcoming fiscal year, to $31-thousand, 840 in fiscal year 2029-2030. Board of Review Commissioners’ salaries will rise during that period from $26,178 to $28,607. Language changes in the contract for the Sheriff’s Department add one more step in longevity, and a small increase in clothing allowance.
Hawker also said the county’s financial outlook is improving…
{AUDIO: “A few months ago the General Fund was down to 10-million (dollars). We’re up to twelve-and-a-half million and officeholders and department heads are doing a real good job in trying to hold down on expenses. And tax bills just went out, so here in the next 30 days – or 45 days – we’ll be receiving our first installment. Of course, we have to pay now for this 3-percent (raise) that we just approved tonight.”}
County Board Chairman Steve Miller says the county does not want to lose good employees. He noted there are a number of long-term employees and said there will be more about them next month.
