TAZEWELL COUNTY, Ill. — Tazewell County Clerk John C. Ackerman will not be censured after the motion of formal disapproval failed on Wednesday night at the Tazewell County Board Meeting.
There were eight yea votes, nine no votes, and one board member abstained.
A number of board members had expressed their discontent with the pay increases given by Ackerman to 14 of his employees in November of 2019.
Ackerman said in a statement that approval of the raises by the board was not required.
“I have utilized the funding provided to me by the Tazewell County Board for payment to my employees as well as Fee Fund revenue available to me by Illinois State Statutes,” said Ackerman.
Board members questioned the raises, wondering how sustainable they would be in future years.
Ackerman said that he reserves the right to set the pay for his employees as he sees fit according to Illinois Attorney General Opinion S-426, but board member Nick Graff said that a contract was violated.
Graff said that salaries for the employees was agreed upon contractually and ran through November 30th of 2020.
Ackerman defended the pay raises, saying the employees deserved them.
“When you looked at what my employees were making compared to comparable positions in Tazewell county. . . my employees were being paid less,” said Ackerman.
Before voting on the censure, Russ Crawford, Tazewell County Board Commissioner, urged other members of the board to work together instead of dividing each other.
“What is the solution? The solution involves a meeting, rolling up your sleeves and doing the hard work. A centure resolution. . . doesn’t get us there,” said Crawford.
At the conclusion of the meeting, Ackerman said that he took the board members’ comments to heart.
“My door has always been open to the board members and it will always be open to the board members. I will communicate and work with them as best I can,” said Ackerman.
