Edwardsville, IL…On Wednesday, Republican County Board Member Kathy Smith (R-Alton) voted against a pay increase for Madison County Board members. Smith proposed instead, that Board Members take a pay cut by as much as 20%. Kathy Smith stated “it’s time for a pay cut, not a pay hike for the Madison County Board.”
At Wednesday’s Madison County Board meeting, members approved a Resolution to increase the County Board Member’s salary by 8% or $1,079. The current salary range for members of the Madison County Board is $13,416-$14,495. The Resolution which passed by the majority of the Board will set the annual salary for all 29 members of the board to be elected in November 2012 at $14,495.
“We are public servants who should be willing to make sacrifices,” said Kathy Smith. “An 8% pay raise for members of the Madison County Board is not in the best interest of the taxpayers, especially since the unemployment rate in Madison County is at 9.4%. It’s time for a pay cut, not an 8% pay hike.”
Smith’s proposal would reduce the annual part-time salary of a county board member by as much as 20%, resulting in an annual part-time salary of $12,000 for all 29 members of the Madison County Board.