County Board Approves Major Code Updates, Discusses Employee Benefits
The Will County Board Executive Committee approved several ordinance updates Wednesday while engaging in detailed discussions about employee compensation and benefits.
The committee passed ordinances updating three chapters of the county code, including revisions to personnel regulations, emergency management agency structure, and public records procedures. The updates include changing the Emergency Services and Disaster Management Agency to the Emergency Management Agency and updating various statutory references throughout the code.
A significant discussion emerged regarding longevity pay for county employees during review of the personnel regulations chapter. Board member Jim Richmond raised concerns about the cost of longevity payments, which he calculated at approximately $340,000 annually based on the 2025 budget.
The county currently provides two types of longevity pay: a modest payment starting at $6 per month after three years of service (maxing out at $40 per month), and a $200 monthly payment for employees who reach the top of their pay scale. Richmond suggested the board should examine these costs in future budget discussions.
“We’ve gone from like four or $500,000 to three-quarters of a million dollars in just the past three or four years,” Richmond said, noting the increases have accelerated as the $200 payments expanded.
The committee also approved contracts totaling $1,725,000 for workforce development programs with Joliet Junior College, including $1,300,000 for youth occupational training and $425,000 for work readiness programs.
Other approved items included property acquisition contracts for a new highway maintenance facility in Monee totaling $545,000, and funding for River Valley Detention Center improvements including a $180,000 body scanner and $136,000 in structural modifications to comply with state juvenile justice standards.
The committee also approved appointments to the Lockport Cemetery Association and METRA Commuter Rail Board.
Showers And Thunderstorms
Latest News Stories
As summer ends, budget battles and investigations await
Tensions Flare as JJC Chairman Rebukes “Entitlement” After Trustee Lists Demands
Trump’s tariff revenue in doubt after appeals court ruling
Congress to face mounting pressure to act on future of D.C.
Trump says appeals court ruling rejecting tariffs ‘highly partisan’
Manhattan-Elwood Library Raises Tax Levy Amid Growing Pains and Need for More Space
DOJ urges federal judge to strike down climate change law
WATCH: Newsom deploys state police to help local law enforcement
Appeals court rejects Trump’s tariffs, but leaves them in place
Denver Public Schools accused of violating Title IX
Poll: 41% of parents worried about school safety before Minneapolis shooting
Report: Offshore wind critics played role in Revolution Wind work stoppage
