Peoria County Elected Officials and Senior Managers Salaries

The question has been asked. Here are the salaries set for 2010:

Elected Officials

Kevin Lyons, S.A. - $166,508

Michael McCoy, Sheriff - $111,806 with an extra $6,500 from the State and an optional $5,000 from the County Board as Supervisor of Safety

Steve Sonnemaker, County Clerk - $88,776 with eligibility to receive an additional $6,500 from the State of Illinois

"Tripp" O'Connor, Treasurer - $88,766 with eligibility to receive an additional $6,500 from the State of Illinois

Robert Spears, Circuit Clerk - $85,266 with eligibilty to receive an addional $6,500 from the State of Illinois

Carol Van Winkle, County Auditor - $82,078

Nancy Horton, Recorder of Deeds - $82,078

Johanna Ingersoll, Coroner - $82, 078

Administrator and Senior Managers

Patrick Urich, Administrator - $165,000 ( Mr. Urich declined his contract approved 2010 increase to $175,000, according to his statement to the board in 2009)

Russell Haupert - IT Manager - $129,127

Tom McFarland - County Highway Superintendent - $116,373

Katherine Van Beek, Human Services Manager - $115,240

Matt Niekirk, Administrator, B-W County Nursing Home - $113,404

Erik Bush - County Financial Officer - $96,373 (Bush is leaving to take a similar position at a Normal. Il. school at a reputed salary of $130,000.)

Mathew Wahl, Planning and Zoning Manager - $91,808

Lauren Malmberg, Animal Control Director - $85,000

Scott Sorrel, Associate Administrator - $79,101

Dave Ryan, Supervisor of Assessments - $70,133

Vicky Turner, E.S.D.A - $62,347

Virginia Pearl, Executive Secretary - $58,670

Karen Raithel , Recycling Manager - $54,625

Jennifer Zinkel, Promotions Director - $48,818

County Board Members - $8500 with no expenses paid by the County unless on approved Official business. The 8 Committee Chairs receive $9500 and the County Board Chairman recommended his salary be frozen this year at, I believe, $16,000. (I will confirm this Monday on this site)


The County Board Chairman also has an office on the fourth floor and a secretary for his board use.

Salaries for elected officials are voted on by the board and this voting is done approximately 18 months before the salary increase, if any, kick in. This is State of Illinois law. We will be voting on four year salaries for the County Clerk, Sheriff and Circuit Clerk Thursday evening. Effective 12/01/11, each of these three offices will receive a yearly 2% raise if the full board approves the recommendations of Management Services. No raise is recommended for 2010.

Underpaid or overpaid? Yes or no? From my observations, all do good work. Some elected officials supervise far more employees such as the Circuit Clerk as opposed to the Auditor. The fairness of compensation has been questioned by some Board Members and perhaps by some elected officials. Unfortunately, the State has too much say in how these salaries are set and the length of the contracts.

My opinion.

All of the above receive good benefits; retirement, paid vacations, personal paid days off and most of their health insurance. Elected officials may come and go at their discretion. It is the voter who elects them and that is to who they report their attendance, not the County Board.

There are also 85 take home County owned vehicles: Coroner - 1,

EMA -1, SAO - 2, P &Z - 4, Supervisor of Assessments Office -2, Highway Department - 4, and the Sheriff's office - 71.

The County Administrator receives a $500 a month vehicle allowance as well as a separate Life Insurance Policy. And all County business expenses paid by the taxpayer.

The County Vehicle Usage manual forbids the use of these marked County vehicles for recreational or personal use including unauthorized commuting.

This information is taken from County documents and all errors would appear to be mine and I stand to be corrected. None of this information is confidential.