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March 29, 2024

DuPage County Board Chairman Dan Cronin’s excessive compensation –

By John Kraft & Kirk Allen

On February 24, 2016

DuPage Co., IL. (ECWd) –

Hold on for the ride, this one will take some reading.

The issue at hand is compensation for elected officials of DuPage County, spearheaded by Chairman Dan Cronin.

Let’s start with the DuPage County Resolution setting the “salary” of county board members and the board chairman (HERE).

On June 3, 2014, the DuPage County Board approved Resolutions FI-R-0107-14 and FI-R-0108-14 , Salary Schedule for Members of the DuPage County Board and the Chairman respectively.

Within the Resolutions, the compensation was set at a specific dollar amount, for board members starting at $50,079 in 2014 and ending at $52,103 in 2017, and for the Chairman at $126,450 in 2014 and ending up at $131,559 in 2017.

Nothing more.

The Resolutions fixed their compensation and they cannot receive anything else.

Relevant Statutes and Law

  • The Counties Code, Section 2-3008, states that during reapportionment the county board selects the method of compensation, and if they want to change the method selected after reapportionment years, they must do so by Resolution or Ordinance, and only for board members, not for the chairman.
  • The Counties Code, Section 4-10001, provides that the board sets the compensation of the board members.
    • Sec. 4-10001. <span style="font-family: Courier New; font-size: small;">County board members. </span> <span style="font-family: Courier New; font-size: small;">County board members elected pursuant to Division 2-3 <span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>shall</strong> <strong>receive such compensation as is fixed by the county board in accordance with "the method of compensation" selected by the county board</strong></span>. Such compensation shall be set before the general election at which county board members are elected. The chairman of the county board shall receive such additional compensation as determined by the county board in reapportioning the county.</span>
          <span style="font-family: Courier New; font-size: small;">County board members and the chairman of the county board are also entitled to travel and expense allowances as determined by the county board.</span>
  • The Illinois Constitution, Article VIII, Section 1(b) states that a public body can use public fund “only as authorized by law or ordinance”.
    • (b)  The State, units of local government and school districts shall incur obligations for payment or make payments from public funds only as authorized by law or ordinance.
  • Article XX, Section 20-101, of the Code of Civil Procedure defines “compensation” as including all the “fringe benefits” within that definition.
    • 1) “Compensation, benefits or remuneration” includes regular compensation, overtime compensation, vacation compensation, deferred compensation, sick pay, disability pay, sick leave, disability leave, medical, dental, optical or other health benefits, pension or retirement benefits or any other pay, compensation, benefits, or any other remuneration.
  • The Counties Code, Section 5-1069, Paragraph (a) says a county board “may” provide for insurance and paragraph (e) states elected and appointed officials are included in the term “employees” in this section.
    • (e) The term “employees” as used in this Section includes elected or appointed officials but does not include temporary employees.

In the case of the DuPage County Board, the board “fixed their compensation in accordance with the method of compensation selected by the county board” as the Counties Code, Sections 2-3008 and 4-10001 provide. The Resolution complies with the Illinois Constitution, Article VIII, Section 1(b).

If all they received was the dollar amounts listed in the resolutions, everything would be fine, however, that is not what is happening.

The difference between the Resolutions and what they are actually receiving:

  • Illinois Municipal Retirement Fund (IMRF)
  • Medical, Dental, and Vision Insurance
  • Vehicle Allowance for certain elected officials

If the County Board had wanted to provide for insurance, IMRF, and Vehicle Allowances, they would have, and should have, placed it into the Resolutions setting their compensation.

No reasonable person would think elected officials could simply add all the perks they wanted at a later date without approval by Resolution.

This board told the public what they were paying board members and the chairman, and then turned around and added perks without proper notification, and without using the correct procedure. While the public thinks board members are receiving $50,079 per year, some have added IMRF and medical, dental, and vision insurance, and some even have a vehicle allowance, making it additional compensation without informing the public.

This is compensation in excess of the Resolution setting their compensation.

For those who have followed the mess at the College of DuPage, this is essentially no different then those COD trustees (prior to this current board) wining and dining at the Waterleaf and making you pay for it. They work without compensation, but thought it OK to feed their faces and get tanked up prior to meetings.

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6 Comments
  • Jon
    Posted at 08:05h, 25 February

    It’s been noted that Dupage County is one of the wealthiest counties in the state. Do they mean the politicians or its citizens? If it’s the citizens then they can’t be that smart allowing this to continue. Another entity in Duage county is the forest preserve. Those pensions are criminal.
    Some are making over $40,000 a year in life time benefits for a part time elected position.
    I know one former Dupage County forest preserve board member who takes in $42,000 annually and was on the board at the time they voted for pensions. Bob, I hope your reading this and sharing the weath with your neighbors who are struggling to help pay for your pension.
    Public service is now voting on your own salary and future pensions.

  • Rob Johnson
    Posted at 08:21h, 25 February

    What a surprise! Now we know why Mr. Cronin is campaigning so hard for Michelle Moore. It’s to keep the dirty not so little secrets of Mr. Cronin and his in lock step county board secret. What Mr. Cronin and the board members who participated in this compensation boosting scheme betrayed every resident in DuPage County. Clearly Michelle Moore IS NOT a credible candidate and will be beholden to Mr. Cronin and his agendas.

    Thank you Watchdogs you have answered a lot of questions and exposed some serious problems within DuPage County government that goes all the way to the top. Sadly, it appears to be the very elected officials who supposedly are looking out for our best interest.

    • Walter
      Posted at 12:04h, 26 February

      Are you or your wife a Milton township government pay roller? If so then, naturally you would have issue, because your family’s income source dry up due to Cronin’s public stance on consolidation of local government including the elimination of Milton township government… Who’s ox is getting gored here?

      • Rob Johnson
        Posted at 15:30h, 13 March

        Interesting how you mention Milton Township and none of the eight other townships. Could that be because Milton Township is not supporting an unqualified candidate named Michelle Moore and her negative campaign?

        Mr. Cronin’s “ACT Initiative” is a sham that is being perpetrated on the taxpayers of DuPage County and has more to do with raising his own darling profile for his run for Secretary of State, than saving the taxpayers a single dollar. Only the uniformed and uninitiated believe Mr. Cronin’s numbers or that there are real savings in his flawed plan. It is also very clear the Watchdogs have exposed ACT as the counterfeit deception it truly is.

        http://3.133.133.226/2016/02/dupage-county-chairman-dan-cronin-truth-trumps-propaganda/

        ACT more appropriately should stand for: ABANDON CRONIN’S TACTICS

  • Mike
    Posted at 09:57h, 25 February

    In another lack of transparency DuPage County does not list employee names on the Total Compensation Report posted in the Employee Compensation category of the Human Resources section of their website.

    http://www.dupageco.org/empcompensation

  • Jack
    Posted at 22:47h, 09 March

    If you think that’s bad you should check into Homeland Security, the animal Shelter and the Health Department…it will make your head spin!

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