How much will your salary be in 2012? Will you get a raise every year? Most of us have no idea, but Naperville’s Robert Schroeder and members of the DuPage County Board want to change that - for themselves. They propose an average of a 3% raise each year, or almost 28% in the next eight years.
This isn’t the first time DuPage County Board members have fooled around with their pay. The Myrene Iozzo scandal in 2001 is likely to cost DuPage taxpayers as much as $600,000 in extra retirement benefits. Iozzo was appointed by the County Board Chairman Roger Schillerstrom in May 1999, and served for 19 months as a County Board member. She now receives early retirement to the tune of over $50,000 a year for her County Board job, which paid $33,058 a year, and her prior job as supervisor of Addison Township, where she made $35,700. Far from this incident making DuPage County Board members more cautious about appearances, the latest salary outrage shows that if we don’t start getting new members on the Board, this won’t be the last scandal where taxpayers foot the bill.
If the proposal for a ten-year salary increase plan were for county employees, people would be rightly upset. They would say that it wasn’t fiscal planning, but fiscal insanity. Not so for many Board members. Schroeder says the program addresses his “concern…that we discuss salaries all the time,” and that if the program is implemented “we won’t have to confront it until 2012.” He then proposes that Board member salary raises get fixed every decade with the census.
I’m hopeful that the DuPage County Board really doesn’t spend all of its time discussing its own salaries. I would hope a regular, critical review of salaries would not be too burdensome, but considered good government. If elected, I promise to scrutinize my own salary and those of my fellow Board members with greater care and consideration for taxpayers than I do any other budget item, because I will recognize that public appearance, not to mention tax dollars, matter to DuPage County voters. While Schroeder goes on to note that county workers have never received raises of less than 3%, an arguable point, he fails to mention the job and service cuts the county has suffered in recent years while, you guessed it, Board salaries continued to climb.
County Board members should listen to one of their own, James Zay of Carol Stream, who argues that automatically raising pay for a decade is not “prudent.” Zay points out the obvious, “[w]e might be in a position where we can’t give raises” in future years. He also points out that “to automatically assume that you get a raise every year, it doesn’t happen in business a lot.” No, it doesn’t.
Unfortunately in the pay raise debate, Zay’s voice of reason is rare on the Board. Most members, including James Healy and Robert Heap of Naperville, join Robert Schroeder in agreeing with the shameful automatic raise for a decade. Only members who feel they have life tenure in their elected posts on the Board could act so callously and cavalierly with the public’s money. County Board members have gotten too comfortable at the County’s expense.
[5/28/04 Editor Note, the Daily Herald link to “Naperville’s Robert Schroeder and members of the DuPage County Board” is no longer online and therefore has been eliminated]
Comments 6
If you really want to know about waste go here. http://www.tomrodeffer.com. I spilled the beans after the County singled me out for retaliation. This was so James Galto would walk out quietly and keep his mouth shut, as he made a deal and so did the States Attorney. He promised to drop all indictments of the 1998 Criminal Corruption Investigation, over the buried striper. He was then allowed to run against Lisa Madigan for the AG back in 2000. I also have a new flyer circulation if you want to see. I have not posted it yet.
The County wasted close to 187 million dollars on clean-up and fines as Illinois EPA and USEPA assisted in technical clean-up. Don Zielenga stated that this money was spent on consulting fees. Patrick Engineering helped with the cover-up.
Posted 21 May 2004 at 11:25 pm ¶I read, cant believe you posted it,,,, those guys have to hate you. How does the locals like the ad? Ill call you later, hope all goes well for you if I dont.
Posted 28 Jun 2004 at 6:22 pm ¶I’m hoping to get the Feds interested in this corruption. All the attorneys listed in my story are dirty, as they had the moral obligation to see to it that the document was legitimate. It is plainly clear, the County photocopied the signature page, and then changed the name and date, on the top copy and submitted it as one that I signed. I was not able to see it long enough to see the names on this during the admin hearing. I saw the date and questioned it, and Kelly snatched it from my hands. In my deposition it was held up and asked if that was my signature. So these guys knew about it and were afraid to let me see it. It was a conspiracy ordered by Don Zielenga. He and the Board members were facing prison sentences if Galto would have talked. Galto was vindictive and wanted some form of revenge before walking out the door and it was provided by Don Zielenga. galto had records that could have taken them all down, had he been allowed to talk. Joe Birkett sat on the rest of those indictments and should be charged with Obstruction of Justice. Schillerstrom and the Board knew of the Conspiracy and went along with it. So if he has any ambitions for running for Governor, he washed that dream right down the drain.
Posted 21 Nov 2004 at 6:56 pm ¶it’s still going on…see postings at dupagecorruption@yahoogroupscom..ATTY GENERAL POLICYMAKER IS A SIGNET…SEE SEQRT@ MSN GROUPS
Posted 14 Dec 2004 at 9:43 am ¶ADDITIONAL EVIDENCE IS AT illinoispolitics@yahoogroups.com dupagecorruption@yahoogroups.com andOBSTRUCTION BY ATTY GENERAL POLICYMAKER IS AT seqrt@msn.groups
Posted 14 Dec 2004 at 9:51 am ¶If you are bothered by Schroder’s deal and the Myrene Iozzo scandall. Then, I suggest you check out the retirement package Don Zielenga arranged for Arnie Komoric. Arnie was the Captiol Plant’s Department Head. After the Highway manager, Jim Galto was prosecuted for the Paint Striper scandal in 1999, that actually was the brain storm of Don Zielenga and his 1987 Highway Committee. Galto was only following orders! Galto was forced into retirement. His theft was considerable! He left with full retirement benefits, and 6 months severance of his $73,000.00 salary, and paid a small fine. This is how the Board takes care of the ones who are politically connected in some way. Galto was only connected to Caroline Kullie, who knew Pate Phillip really well I hear. She resigned from the Forest Preserve as she didn’t want to take any heat, knowing she was affiliated with Galto.
Don Zielenga had Arnie Komoric run both Highway and Capitol Plant with a salary increase of $10,000.00 per year. Then he was also getting paid, like an extra $800.00 a month to use his own car. Yet he was in accident at Route 56 and Park Blvd in Glen Ellyn. Sheriff Karoba put him in his squad, and took him home for the rest of the day after he bounced off a Lexus, Cadilac, and a Honda and sent at least one lady to the Hospital. Being a Highway Vehicle, he is bound by the CDL requirements. “Anytime you are involved in an accident, especially, where is bodily injury, you are required to immediately take a drug and alchol screening test.” None was ever taken! The damage to the Dodge 4×4 truck was extensive, with body and suspension damage. This was the Highway H-101! No one saw him until the following day. So being where he was, he was most likely lifting a few, down the street with Mike Formento. DuPage has always felt they are exempted from Federal laws and are untouchable!
If you know anything about the way the pension works, IMRF go back and average out the highest salary of the last 3 years that you worked. Zielenga was taking care of his buddy. Carl Schweizer who is running the show now was promised the job even before Arnie was appointed. That was his partnership with Zielenga for his faithful service of being the type of person he is. Let your imagination roll with that!
Posted 14 Dec 2004 at 12:16 pm ¶Post a Comment