A McHenry County panel began considering Monday various proposals for pay raises for about 630 of the more than 900 county employees.
The County Board’s Human Resources Committee looked at one proposal that would provide across-the-board percentage raises.
The across-the-board proposals range from 2 percent to 6 percent increases. County wage and benefit costs would increase by $319,000 if all employees received 2 percent raises and by $958,000 if they received as much as a 6 percent raise.
A second plan would combine a pay raise with an end-of-year bonus for employees who meet certain performance standards.
Under a third proposal, the county’s lowest-paid employees would receive the largest percentage pay increases while those at higher job grades would receive lower percentage raises.
“We have a lot of people in the lower classes. Two or 3 percent [raises] for them is almost meaningless,” Human Resources Director Grant Nyhammer told the committee.
But Nyhammer added that employees in higher job grades might feel slighted if their percentage raise is less than those at lower job grades, even if the dollar amount of their raise is more.
None of the pay-raise proposals would apply to the more than 200 union employees in the county Sheriff’s Department. They work under contracts negotiated by the Fraternal Order of Police.
Before the meeting, committee member Leslie Root said she is inclined to give the largest possible pay raise to county employees. The County Board recently approved a 3 percent pay raise for the county auditor, coroner, circuit clerk and recorder beginning this December and annual 4 percent raises over the next four years. In 2004, all four officeholders would earn $76,530 a year.
“I don’t know how we can legitimately give [county government employees] anything less” than the 4 percent a year for four years given the elected officials, Root said.
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