The Evanston City Council approved a raise for its city manager on April 28, making him one of the highest-paid municipal government employees in the state.
Aldermen voted unanimously at Monday’s City Council meeting to approve an 8% raise for City Manager Luke Stowe that boosted his annual base salary from $275,000 to $297,000, plus benefits all employees receive such as health insurance.
That surpasses Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson’s salary of $221,000, though it’s not the highest among suburban municipal executives. In Highland Park, the city manager earns a base salary of $300,000; in Wilmette, the village manager earns a salary of $305,000 and in Glenview, the village manager earns a salary of $309,000.
Topping those is Lake Forest, where the city manager earns a salary of $323,000.
Stowe was appointed to city manager by the City Council in August 2022, according to city documents. Then, his starting salary was $250,000, per previous reporting.
The approved raise is retroactive to Stowe’s hiring date anniversary in August. The council also approved a $6,000 increase in vehicle allowance for the year.
In a memo from Mayor Daniel Biss to the City Council, Biss wrote that Stowe has not received a raise since October 2023.
“The City Council and I would like to thank Mr. Stowe for his service to the residents of Evanston and look forward to continuing to work with him in the future,” Biss wrote.
Before the vote, 8th Ward City Councilmember Devon Reid thanked Stowe for taking charge of the office in a tumultuous time when he filled vacancies to critical positions. One of his hires includes Evanston’s police chief, Schenita Stewart, who was recently named Illinois Police Chief of the Year by the Illinois Association of Chiefs of Police.
“I truly appreciate your service and what you’ve done for the City to keep the ship gone straight,” he said.
