Spring Grove board approves raises

From the Wednesday, July 16, 2008 edition of the Northwest Herald:

Spring Grove board approves raises
By DIANA SROKA - dsroka@nwherald.com

SPRING GROVE – The Spring Grove Village Board unanimously approved salary increases for the village president and trustees Tuesday.

The village president’s annual salary will increase by 11 percent to $10,000 and trustees’ salaries will increase by 13.6 percent to $5,000. The increases will take effect after the spring 2009 municipal election. All trustees were present at the meeting, but Village President Mark Eisenberg was absent. There was no discussion amongst the board or public comment about the raises.

“It’s a minimal amount of money, especially with this board,” Trustee Del Houghton said after the meeting. “The money is inconsequential to me.”

Hougton estimated board members each spend 10 to 15 hours a week addressing village matters, and by the end of the year the rate of pay is less than $10 an hour. The village president and trustee salaries are slightly higher than neighboring Johnsburg, which has a population slightly higher than Spring Grove. Johnsburg Director of Operations Claudett Peters said trustees earn $4,000 and the village president earns $9,000 each year. Trustee Mike Lee said the Village Board researched area salaries before choosing the increase amount.

“Different numbers floated around, we thought it was fair,” Lee said. “For the amount of work that we do, we’re not doing it for the money.”

Some residents present at the meeting agreed.

“[With] all the hard work they do, I think they should earn more,” said Spring Grove resident Ray Perkins.

“I don’t think that’s very much money.”