Big Pay Hike For Bensenville Mayor If Ballot Issue Passes

BENSENVILLE, IL – With members silent about their reasoning, the Bensenville Village Board on Wednesday unanimously voted to increase the mayor's salary to $135,000, from $26,000.

That decision is contingent on voters deciding to do away with the managerial form of government in the April 1 election, an issue that trustees voted to put on the ballot.

The decisions come about a week after the board fired the village manager, Evan Summers, who served eight years.

If the increase happens, the mayor's pay would be roughly equivalent to the mayor of Rockford, a city that is eight times larger than Bensenville.

Mayor Frank DeSimone, who is running unopposed in the election, defended the village from critics. He contended the manager makes decisions without significant input from the board.

"If the residents of the village decide not to retain the managerial form of government, the village president will assume greater administrative authority, including overseeing the day-to-day operations of the village," DeSimone said.

He said the village welcomed honest and respectful debate. But he accused some residents of spreading misinformation on social media.

The mayor also said it has not been a "great secret" that the village was considering changing the form of government. It's been a topic for eight years, he said.

Under Wednesday's approved mayoral salary ordinance, the mayor would also get medical and dental insurance if the referendum passes.

Four residents spoke during the following public comments. Three of them said they generally approved of the elected officials' performance over the years, but questioned the latest moves. Two asked for the trustees to speak about their views on the issues at hand.

Resident Chris McCullough wasn't among the supporters. At last week's meeting, before the board voted on the manager's firing, he correctly predicted the village would put the form of government on the ballot and increase the mayor's salary.

During Wednesday's meeting, McCullough said residents shouldn't be "pawns in your abuse of power and self-serving activities."

"Does not a single one of you have a moral compass that knows these actions are wrong for our residents?" he said.

Resident James Nylander, the police department's chaplain, said village officials have done "some amazing things" over the years.

But he questioned what research had been done before the issues were put on the board's agenda.

"I have a lot of questions," he said. "They're not negative. They're not positive. They're there because we deserve answers."

He added, "Anything done in darkness takes on a bad optic and puts a bad taste in our mouths."

Resident Michael Jaffe praised the work of the mayor and board, saying the village is run professionally.

But he said the latest issues have been handled way too quickly.

"Trustees, have you discussed how this will benefit our village, the key issues, the impact on the budget alternatives, like hiring another professionally trained expert like Mr. Summers," he said. "I mean this is a multimillion-dollar operation."

An unidentified man who called himself a board supporter said the village has not provided enough information to the public on the latest issues.

"I'm disappointed the way this has taken place," he said.

Despite pleas to hear from the trustees, they kept their lips sealed and voted without a discussion.

All the village incumbents are unopposed in the April election. The candidate filing period ended more than two weeks ago. All the recent decisions took place after that.