According to DeKalb first ward alderman David Jacobson the DeKalb city council approved a 17% pay increase for management employees after a two hour marathon closed session meeting by a vote of 6-0. The council reconvened after closed session without notification of the public to confirm the vote in “public” session.
Voting for the pay raises at 11:45pm, were Bill Finucane (2nd ward), Kristin Lash (3rd), Bob Snow (4th), Ron Naylor (5th), Monica O’Leary (7th), and Mayor John Rey. Jacobson said he refused to participate in the closed session vote. He said he refused to vote because he did not feel comfortable with how it was done and officially “left the meeting.” He asked for it to be recorded in the minutes that he refused to participate.
Earlier in the regular meeting the city council passed receiving and filing the pay raise ordinance by a 5-2 vote (Jacobson and O’Leary dissenting) but failed to pass second reading, which required a supermajority vote. Three alderman and the mayor voted for passing second reading (Finucane, Snow, Naylor) and three voted against (Jacobson, O’Leary, Lash). The motion failed. Sixth ward alderman Dave Baker was absent.
City attorney Dean Frieders was present in public and executive (closed) session to advise the council.
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29 Comments
Welcome to liberal Illinois
Cutting programs to meet the state funding shortfalls, and lack of property tax revenue. So, give your selves a raise because your hiking up the taxes again anyway? WOW. F’en Illinois!
You can’t vote in a closed session. That can’t stand
What a load of crap! My street needs to be repaved. So much else needs to be done in the city.
17% ???????
Are local government salaries disclosed somewhere? Anyone have a link?
Shit, how do I get a job? Where else can you get a 17% pay raise? Hell, soldiers only got 1.5% this year. What are these people thinking? Wasn’t Rey just complaining in the chronicle about the struggles facing the city due to Rauner’s cuts? How does a pay raise help that? How about adjusting things to where the schools get more money so that they can bring in more staff? This is a joke.
What a joke
Been listening to the governor…we’re broke, but pay management more and cut worker bees
The people get poorer and the politicians make more. Wonder why people are leaving the county and the state?
Shameful.
Bunch of thugs! Mayor Rey is a joke too.
Worst roads dirtiest town and crime. Do they deserve a pay raise
I’m shocked…….
WHAT?!?!?! Let’s remember this come election time!!! They should be embarrassed!!!
Pay raise for what to do nothing. That’s DeKalb for you
This is unbelievable!!
What else would you expect from politicians. You’d have to be a complete moron to want to be a politician these days with people like this continuing to create a TERRIBLE name for themselves.
Thx! And raise my taxes why your at it Dekalb! ð
The council must think the taxpayers have unlimited funds and bottomless pockets !!! They should be ashamed !!!
Dubuhyou tee efffffffff
17 percent? Wow, they must have a flawless operation going on that warrants that kind of pay raise…….right??
I was outraged that the entire City Council meeting was focused on convincing Council to vote for the Admin. pay raises already. But THIS goes way over the top! The gall of Staff and Mayor Rey is unbelievable!!
Idiots.
Groan
We should be outraged.
No, No and No!
well, well, well… should we be surprised????
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Our streets suck, we can’t keep Business in town, NIU civil service haven’t received a raise in three years, but these people get a 17% raise? Guess I will be voting them all out of office next election!