County board to continue discussion on commissioner salaries

According to the most recent U.S. Census Bureau report from 2017, the average annual income for a Cook County resident is approximately $32,000.  

The topic of an equitable wage surfaced during a meeting of the Cook County Board of Commissioners Dec. 3. The focus of the conversation centered on the notion that how much compensation an elected official receives will impact who runs for local office, according to at least two of the Cook County commissioners.

WTIP asked Cook County Auditor-Treasurer Braidy Powers for the total compensation each commissioner received in 2018, that being the most recent full year to analyze the numbers. The information below is a breakdown of those numbers.

Per diems and salaries:

Myron Bursheim            $41,312
Heidi Doo-Kirk              $33,454
Bobby Deschampe         $31,994
Ginny Storlie                  $30,607
Jan Sivertson                  $29,204
 
In addition to wages and per diems, the commissioners can opt for health insurance coverage through the county. In 2018, the county paid the following amounts for health insurance premiums for the commissioners:
 
Doo-Kirk    $16,646            
Sivertson     $6,662                  
Storlie          $6,662                  
Bursheim       $0
Deschampe    $0
 
There are other payments or financial contributions the county pays to the commissioners each year, including a pension, and other forms of insurance. Those add up to approximately $2,000 for each commissioner. Furthermore, the 2018 mileage reimbursement combined for travel for county business was $20,794.  This breaks down to approximately 5,000 more dollars for each commissioner.
 
Among a variety of other topics, the county board discussed their pay structure for 2020 during a meeting a meeting of the Cook County Board of Commissioners Dec. 3. After a somewhat lengthy discussion, the board agreed to table the decision until their next meeting regarding their compensation for next year. That being the case, there were sentiments expressed by the county board that the salary for commissioners should be increased in Cook County.

Commissioner Dave Mills said current salaries for the county board restricts who is able to serve as a county commissioner. He added that certain counties set their pay scale so that only wealthy business owners can run for local office.

The 2019 base salaries for Cook County Commissioners range from nearly $24,000 for Ginny Storlie as the board chair to approximately $22,400 for the other commissioners. Vice Chair Myron Bursheim receives an extra $500 for his role as the second in command. The schedule of per diems for the commissioners this year is $100 for all approved meetings and activities.

Commissioner Heidi Doo-Kirk said any changes or suggested changes regarding pay increases for the commissioners have not been well received by the general public and local taxpayers.

Meanwhile, Auditor-Treasurer Braidy Powers says the most recent pay increase was in 2000 or 2002 when the commissioner salaries climbed from approximately $15,000 to $22,000. When there is a lag time for increasing commissioner salaries these types of large increases take place, Powers said.

Doo-Kirk said Cook County is typically in the lower tier of payment for commissioners. She agreed with Mills that this does restrict who can run for local office.

Increases to county board compensation must be approved prior to the year in which they take effect, according to Powers. Decreases can take effect any time during the year. The board compensation must be published annually as part of the minutes of the meeting at which they are approved.

The next regular meeting of the county board is Dec. 17. The topic of commissioners’ salaries and compensation is expected to be addressed.

The audio below is a conversation with WTIP's Joe Friedrichs and Commissioner Mills.