McHenry County Blog

A press release from State Rep. Kent Gaffney:

Kent Gaffney

Special Session: No Comprehensive Pension Reform, House Votes to Expel Smith

Springfield, IL… On Friday the Governor called a Special Session for lawmakers to consider pension reform to save the State’s growing pension crisis, however, no true reform was enacted.

State Representative Kent Gaffney (R-Wauconda) was disappointed with the legislation presented and voted against Senate Bill 3168 because it lacked the needed reform.

“Illinois has the worst public pension system in the nation. We need comprehensive reform that includes all of the pension systems.

“Upon becoming a lawmaker, I chose to reject a legislative pension and support reforming the pension system for all lawmakers, but a piecemeal approach to this problem is not the answer we need,” said Gaffney.

“I am calling on the Governor and Speaker Madigan to step up and show some leadership on this issue and quit playing political games.”

The bill offered Friday would have only have only reduced the state’s $83 billion unfunded pension liability by $42 to $45 million.

“I truly believe we’ve got one shot at meaningful pension reform. The bill that was dropped upon us Friday – while symbolic – would have done very little to solve our pension crisis.

‘I believe the Governor should have kept us in Springfield until we reached a compromise on real reform that would stabilize our public pension systems and protect Illinois taxpayers.”

Because the Governor called a special session rather than a regular session of the House, lawmakers were eligible to receive per idem for the day.

In an effort to save taxpayer dollars, Rep. Gaffney sent a letter to the Clerk rejecting the per diem.

In addition to pension reform, the Illinois House of Representatives voted in favor 100-6 to expel indicted State Representative Derrick Smith (D-Chicago) from the Illinois House.

Rep. Smith was arrested March 13, following an undercover investigation by the FBI; Smith now faces federal bribery charges for allegedly accepting a $7,000 cash bribe.

Rep. Gaffney voted in favor of expelling indicted State Representatives Derrick Smith.

Ersel Schuster

McHenry County Board member Ersel Schuster has proposed an alternative compensation plan to the one recommended by the Committee Chairman’s Meeting for County Board members. She calls it a “minority resolution.”

Her suggestions?

• Chairman of the Board: $79,063 FY 2013-2016, instead of the Chairman’s Committee Meeting recommendation of $82,200, plus increases in the Consumer Price Index starting in FY15.
• Vice-Chairman of the Board: $5,000 per year more than board members with no CPI hike starting in FY15.
• Members of the Board: Members of the Board per diem compensation at a rate of $225 per meeting for each such meeting attended in full, for FY2013 – 2016. The Committee Chairman’s Meeting plan has them earning $21,500, plus CPI increases starting in FY15. (Note that members have to stay for the full meeting under Schuster’s plan, not just duck in and leave.)
• Fringe Benefits: The Chairman and Members of the Board may choose to participate, paying the full cost of such participation, in any or all of the benefit programs made available, now or in the future, to all County employees including, but not limited to health, dental and vision plans subject to the same rates, benefit levels, rules and regulations established for all County employees.  (The difference is that the above fringe benefits are basically free under the Finance Committee plan.)

As in the majority plan, mileage would not be paid.

Definitions provided by Schuster follow:

• Per diem is based on an average of 8 meetings per month for each member (2 County Board meetings; 3 standing committee meetings X’s 2 per month) rounding out to approximately $21,600 annually;
• Assigned/special meetings, where members were are in attendance, qualify for per diem;
• Meetings missed or cancelled could average the annual amount out to the approximate average of $21,600 x’s 24 or… $518,000 as an amount budgeted for this purpose.
• Members choosing to participate in the county paid “benefits” programs – pay the full cost of that benefit.  The IMRF & Insurance alone amounts to over a quarter of a million in costs to the taxpayers for what is “less than a part-time” – “public-service” position.

Those Board members elected last year are being paid about $20,200, plus fringe benefits; those elected in 2008 get about $19,800.

Grafton Township Trustees are off to Judge Michael Caldwell’s courtroom this morning.

Grafton Township Board members (from left to right) Supervisor Linda Moore and Trustees Rob LaPorta, Barb Murphy, Betty Zirk and Gerry McMahon.

This time the Trustees are complaining about not being paid in a timely manner.

They argue that they are employes and must be paid twice a month according to state law.

As I understand it, they are paid a per diem for every meeting they attended.

Attached to the motion is a memo from Supervisor Linda Moore saying she is considering returning to the policy of paying Trustees on a quarterly basis, her predecessor’s practice.

One of the Trustees, Gerry McMahon, has been heard yelling about the matter.

In her undated memo to Trustees, Moore wonders if Trustees should be paid for meetings in which they walk out early.

The court filing also asks for Moore to be order to pay Ancel Glink another $49,359.60, work that the pleading says was performed prior to the December, 2010, court order.

In the letter attached as Exhibit A Moore also wonders,

• “Are McCog [McHenry County Council of Governments] meals taxable earnings, per the IRS? If the means are taxable earnings, how far back do the elected officials need to reimburse the township for the meals? Should I deduct the mels from the elected officials earnings
• “If there are no m inutes for a meeting, do the trustees get paid for it?

Somebody has probably written about this, but I haven’t seen it, so here goes.

In a fit of logic, the General Assembly enacted legislation that denied legislators per diem payments after the Constitutional deadline beyond which a super-majority was required to make a law effective immediately upon signature.

Because of this law, those legislators who cannot finance their hotel rooms and meals out of their own pockets or out of their campaign funds have had a disincentive to be in Springfield since June 1st.

It shows in the attendance figures this year.

But, once a Governor calls a special session, the state reps. and senators start getting money for every day they are in Springfield.

And, folks, as I well know, this is tax-free money.

That means anything that is not spent is pure gravy for the legislator.

Somebody has probably written about this, but I haven’t seen it, so here goes.

In a fit of logic, the General Assembly enacted legislation that denied legislators per diem payments after the Constitutional deadline beyond which a super-majority was required to make a law effective immediately upon signature.

Because of this law, those legislators who cannot finance their hotel rooms and meals out of their own pockets or out of their campaign funds have had a disincentive to be in Springfield since June 1st.

It shows in the attendance figures this year.

But, once a Governor calls a special session, the state reps. and senators start getting money for every day they are in Springfield.

And, folks, as I well know, this is tax-free money.

That means anything that is not spent is pure gravy for the legislator.