This post was contributed by a community member. The views expressed here are the author's own.

Politics & Government

What are Tri-Cities Aldermen Paid?

A salary comparison of city council members in St. Charles, Geneva and Batavia shows what elected city officials earn.

Like many local governing bodies, serving as a member of a city council within the Tri-Cities could be considered a thankless job. Especially considering the amount of compensation each alderman receives in exchange for the large amount of time he or she invests in running their individual city.

Thirty-four residents of the Tri-City area serve as an alderman in their particular ward; 10 alderman in St. Charles, or two in each of the city’s five wards; 10 in Geneva’s five wards, or two in each of the ward; and 14 alderman, or two in each of Batavia’s seven wards.

So how do the salaries for the alderman in St. Charles, Geneva and Batavia compare. A comparison based on information provided by an alderman in each of the municipalities is listed below.

Find out what's happening in St. Charleswith free, real-time updates from Patch.

St Charles

A St. Charles alderman receives $175 for each council meeting attended. This is not inclusive of the various committee meetings aldermen may participate in throughout their terms.

Find out what's happening in St. Charleswith free, real-time updates from Patch.

According to newly elected Fifth Ward Alderman Maureen Lewis, this salary has not been changed since 2001.

“It’s been the same for a long, long time,” she said.

Geneva

Outgoing Third Ward Alderman Ray Pawlik says a Geneva alderman receives a salary of $300 per month, or $260 after tax deductions.

Pawlik says that alderman could receive additional compensation for emergency City Council meetings, but the City Council has typically voted to waive that fee when that occurs.

Batavia

The salary is so insignificant to longtime Fifth Ward Alderman Eldon Frydendall, that he had to double check his records to be sure he had the right amount.

Frydendall said Batavia aldermen each earn $200 per City Council meeting. This figure does not apply to additional committee meetings that they typically attend, and there is no compensation for emergency meetings.

For more information on city government in the Tri-Cities, visit their Web sites:

St. Charles: ci.st-charles.il.us

Geneva: geneva.il.us

Batavia: cityofbatavia.net

We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here

The views expressed in this post are the author's own. Want to post on Patch?