The Homer Township Board Monday approved changing the highway commissioner job into a part-time position for the next four years, reducing the yearly pay from $61,094 to $15,000.
The newly installed township board ran on the campaign promise that the highway commissioner’s salary would be a part-time position because the job maintains fewer than 20 miles of roads.
While state law says salaries for elected officials cannot be altered while in office, largely to prevent elected officials from increasing their own pay and financially benefiting from their positions, township officials said they are clarifying existing policies.
The board cited a 2020 resolution passed under former township Supervisor Pam Meyers and her administration that said if the responsibilities fell below 20 miles, the highway commissioner would be part-time with a $15,000 salary with no insurance or pension benefits.
At the time, Homer Glen was preparing to take over about 135 miles of roads within its village limits that were once maintained by the Homer Township Road District, leaving the township with about 18 miles of road in unincorporated areas.
Homer Glen officials said they wanted to create their own public works department and not be beholden to the road district and intergovernmental agreements, which could be canceled.
Last year, the township board under former Supervisor Steve Balich passed a resolution stating there would be no changes in salaries for elected officials, but omitted the 2020 section that tied the highway commissioner’s salary to the number of miles maintained.
“When the previous board passed their ordinance, there was a statement made that there was no changes to the ordinance and everything would remain the same,” Highway Commissioner John Robinson said.
“But somehow all the part-time stuff was left out. We had said from day one that this was going to be a part-time position and so we are just putting the part-time wording back into the payroll ordinance so that is clarified,” he said.
Several township trustees said they felt it was commendable to renounce the full-time salary.
“That was put in place for a reason. Road districts are kind of a waning thing here in a metropolitan area that we are in,” Trustee Keith Gray said. “It was recognized by boards years ago that as their footprint is reduced, so should the position itself as well as the pay. That was a good thing that they put in place back then, and it was very unfortunate that it was overlooked for the last four years.”
As of May 1, the road district controls about 17 miles of road, about a mile less than previous years after New Lenox annexed a portion of Meader Road and Chicago-Bloomington Trail, Robinson said.
Civic center delay
Township officials also said Monday the civic center is not close to opening and still needs at least $500,000 in work.
The multipurpose civic center, approved under the Balich administration, is under construction at Trantina Farm, 15774 151st St., which is part of the township-owned open space program.Chicago Tribune
Township Supervisor Susanna Steilen said numerous jobs still need to be done.
“There is no septic system installed at the civic center, so it is no way ready to be occupied,” Steilen said. “There’s no fire suppression (system).”
Drywall needs to be taped and painted, she said, and a lot of electrical work remains to be done. There’s no heating or cooling system or emergency exit signage, and bathrooms need floors, she said.
“We have spent at least $2.2 million on this project, and we have a building that we cannot occupy yet,” Steilen said. “I feel that it is going to be at least $500,000 … to do anything in that building.”
Gray said for months it was eluded that the building would be ready to open by May or June.
“The plain fact of the matter is they started building a $3 million building when they only really had $2 million in the bank,” he said. “They ran out of money and now it’s going to be incumbent upon us to find that money without raising taxes, without going back to the taxpayer.”
The new township board took office May 19 after ousting the Balich administration in the Republican primary Feb. 25.
Known as the Homer Township Reset slate, they ran unopposed in the April 1 election.
Michelle Mullins is a freelance reporter for the Daily Southtown.
