As it gets ready to vote on its 2011 budget and with property taxes about to increase significantly for a variety of reasons, the Cook County Board of Commissioners is thinking about how to keep costs down. On Tuesday, December 14, 2010 the board voted not to increase its salary and per diems.
Commissioner Jim Johnson said he had a problem being paid the same for meetings in the county as he did for meetings outside the county, because the local meetings don’t take nearly as much travel time. He suggested that they consider getting paid less for local meetings.
Commissioner Jan Hall saw it differently. She said she attends at least two and often three or more meetings in a day when she has meetings within the county, which would tie up much or all of a day as an out-of-county meeting would do.
The other commissioners voted with Hall on a motion to keep per diems the same in 2011. Commissioner Johnson cast the sole nay vote.
Commissioners do not get paid per diems for regular county board meetings or special county meetings which some or all of the board attend, such as joint meetings with other governmental entities, truth-intaxation meetings, and Board of Equalization meetings. They get paid $100 a day for days on which they attend meetings on a list of boards and commissions to which they have been appointed or other county-related meetings approved by consensus of the entire board. They do not get paid for more than one meeting in a day even if they attend more than one.
Commissioner base salaries are $22,394 plus benefits with the board chair receiving an additional $1,500 a year.
A few minutes later, the board voted to reappoint Johnson to the National Association of Counties Public Lands Steering Committee. He asked his fellow commissioners what they thought of his attending three out of state meetings scheduled throughout the next year, travels that would cost up to $12,000.
Commissioner Fritz Sobanja called Johnson’s willingness to get paid less for local meetings while the county spends so much money to send him out of state an “imbalance.”
Commissioner Bruce Martinson came to Johnson’s defense. “Jim goes overboard to find the cheapest rates,” he said. He said to Johnson, “I appreciate your effort.”
The federal government’s payment in lieu of taxes on federal property (PILT) and Secure Rural Schools funding would not have happened without the National Association of Counties (NACo) and its Public Lands Steering Committee, Commissioner Bob Fenwick said, adding that those funding sources are really important to Cook County.
Commissioner Martinson supported the trips Johnson takes to Public Lands Steering Committee meetings and said he believes Johnsons involvement will bring payback to the county. “If you’re not at the table,” he said, “you’re on the menu.”
Commissioner Sobanja thanked Johnson for his involvement on the national level on behalf of the county. He also expressed appreciation to outgoing Commissioner Bob Fenwick as he serves his last month on the board. “Thank you, Bob, for all your service to the county all these years,” he said.
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