Illinois residents hoped for the best when Pat Quinn became governor.

While Governor Pat Quinn is increasing his staff’s salaries, State Rep. Mike Tryon is spending 10% less than he is allowed by law. He’s returning about $8,000 to the state treasury.

Quinn says his office budget is down, but he worked for Governor Dan Walker, who placed employees who reported to him all over state government, including a speech writer in the Ag Department and Pat Quinn in the Department of Local Governmental Affairs.

Here’s the press release:

State Representative Mike Tryon
Trims Local Expenses by 10% for 2009-10

Crystal Lake, Ill. –At a time when government spending in Illinois continues to increase under the leadership of Governor Pat Quinn and House Speaker Mike Madigan, State Representative Mike Tryon (R-64) spent only 90% of his local office budget allocation last year.

For the fiscal year that ended June 30, just over 10% of Tryon’s local office allocation was returned to the State of Illinois. He believes that through leading by example, Tryon is sending an important message to the current leadership in Springfield.

Mike Tryon

“If Illinois is ever to become a financially-stable state it is imperative that the current spending culture change,” said Tryon.

“If I can trim 10% from my budget in McHenry County, why can’t our Governor do the same in Springfield?”

Tryon and Senator Pamela Althoff (R-32) have sought creative solutions to keep costs down locally. The two legislators share office space in Crystal Lake. By sharing an office, they decrease office expenditures not only through sharing rent and utility costs, but also through sharing staff and reducing the amount of supplies purchased for the office.

“For the past year and a half, Governor Quinn has been pushing for residents to pay more in higher taxes for state services and programs, and while employers and caregivers to our most vulnerable populations are now waiting nearly six months for reimbursement from the state, Quinn has been doling out hefty pay raises to his staff,” said Tryon.

A recent study showed that Governor Quinn’s 30 top staff members are receiving raises of up to 20% and of the the 124 employees directly employed by the Governor, the average pay increase is 11%. “These raises are taking place at the same time that Illinois continues to fall further behind in its ability to pay its bills and when budget cuts are being made in the areas of school, municipal and social service agency funding,” said Tryon.

According to Tryon, Governor Quinn’s actions are a clear example of exactly what is wrong with the current leadership in Springfield.

“The fact of the matter is, the economy is contracting while State government under Governor Quinn and House Speaker Madigan continues to expand.”

In addition to reducing costs through sharing office space, staff and supplies, Representative Tryon is also helping the State’s bottom line through the acceptance of a pay cut that resulted from furlough days during the 2009-10 fiscal year. The number of furlough days will increase this fiscal year, which will result in an even greater decrease in pay for Tryon and his colleagues.

“We in McHenry County are spending less in an effort to help the State’s financial crisis,” said Tryon.

“To hear our Governor talk about ‘shared sacrifice’ and then to watch him turn around and give hefty raises to his staff is offensive. His ‘do as I say and not as I do’ style of leadership will never help make Illinois a financially-stable state; it will only drive Illinois further into debt and closer to bankruptcy.”