Aldermen on Monday approved a raise for the Galesburg city clerk, but elected to keep salaries flat for the positions of Galesburg mayor and the seven City Council members.
By a 7-0 vote, the City Council approved ordinances to set salaries for city elected officials for terms beginning May 2025. The salaries of mayor and City Council members stay the same at $12,000 and $5,000 respectively, while the position of city clerk will receive a 4% yearly increase to its salary.
The salary ordinances were scheduled to be discussed on first reading, however aldermen voted 5-2 to bypass protocol and decide the issue Monday. Fourth Ward Aldermen Dwight White and Seventh Ward Alderman Steve Cheesman voted against moving the items to second reading, citing a lack of time for the public to consider the issue.
The salary for mayor has been $12,000 since 2008. For the Council members, their salary had been $1,800 since the early 1980’s and was eventually increased to $5,000 beginning in April 1999.
‘The money is not the reason we do this’
Mayor Peter Schwartzman asked for clarification as to why the salaries of City Council members and mayor have “held flat for so long.”
Hanson said consideration of raises normally come at the request of the City Council, and he did not receive any feedback on the issue. He said aldermen could request city administration to survey what other comparatively-sized elected bodies have set for their elected official salary structures.
“Anything we put forward would require a vote to give yourself a raise, and my experience has been most elected officials have not wanted to do that very often, hence the reason the salaries don’t change often,” Hanson said.
” … there’s just no way I’m going to vote myself a raise. Most of us want to help better the city. It’s not necessarily a calling, but it’s something we want to do. The money is not the reason we do this.” — Steve Cheesman, 7th Ward alderman
Cheesman said the position of city clerk — currently occupied by Kelli Bennewitz — was “worthy of a raise, but as far as us, there’s just no way I’m going to vote myself a raise. Most of us want to help better the city. It’s not necessarily a calling, but it’s something we want to do. The money is not the reason we do this.”
The city clerk will receive $91,766 from May 1, 2025 to April 30, 2026; $95,436 from May 1, 2026, through April 30, 2027; $99,253 from May 1, 2027, through April 30, 2028; and $103,223 from May 1, 2028, and continuing thereafter.
“The go-to person that I get all of my information from is the city clerk, and I’m definitely in favor of the city clerk getting a raise,” White said. “That’s a real important job and it entails a lot.”
Trustees follow same salary pattern for Town of the City of Galesburg
While sitting as the Town of the City of Galesburg, trustees also fast-tracked by a vote of 7-0 ordinances to set the salaries for the township supervisor, township trustees, and township clerk for terms beginning May 2025, and the township assessor starting Jan. 1, 2026.
- The salary to be paid to the township supervisor will be the sum of $4,000 per year.
- The salary to be paid to township trustees for the term of office commencing in May 2025 will be $240 per year.
- The salary to be paid to the township clerk for the term of office commencing in May 2025 will be $2,400 per year.
- The salary for the township assessor is proposed to be set so that it is commensurate with the city clerk. The salary for the township assessor is recommended with a 4% increase on the base salary for each of the four years during the term.