FAIRNESS IN GOVERNMENT You be the judge.

FAIRNESS IN
GOVERNMENT
You be the judge.

Guest Editorial
By Cathy Ward
Four years ago, former Belvidere Boone Planning Director Adam Tegen left our
Belvidere/Boone Planning Department, leaving Kathy Miller and Gina Delrose in
charge during some of the most challenging days in the history of the county during
the emotion-packed, long-winded wind-farm and Plote hearings.
Adam was not replaced-leaving Kathy and Gina sharing his workload. Kathy was
named interim director. Gina was still associate planner. Fast forward to four years
later. Kathy is still interim director, Gina is still associate planner and raises for
both have been minimal. One year during the recession there were no raises for the
county. The next year, none for the city, still doing the work of three.
As many of you know, they were not always treated with the dignity and respect
all our employees deserve, and that’s putting it nicely. The verbal abuse, insults and
rudeness have been the worst I’ve seen in years. Some people took any chance they
could to try to make them look incompetent or untrained. They are neither.
For four years, they have done all that was asked. People who work with them
say they have always remained professional. They have been informative, done the
research requested, been polite in the process, gone the extra mile and been involved
in many community activities on top of their workload.
But nothing has been done to give them the titles and raises they deserve. I hope
it’s not just because they are women. The abuse they have taken without leaders
stepping in has been incomprehensible. I truly believe the good people of this county
would not judge this favorably. Most don’t know this is happening, I’m sure. Let’s
hope there is a change, soon.
Also judge this one. One of our county departments, the probation department,
comes to us every year demanding at least a 3% raise, even though most years, our
other departments are getting less. I’ve always objected to this. This year, the rest of
our departments are getting a 2% raise.
I was much encouraged when our finance committee voted 5-0 to say “No. They
said probation gets the same as the rest, 2%. But a few days later, I found out a few
of our finance committee and chair met with the probation people, not the entire
finance committee, and agreed to give the 3% again, that’s on top of repeated 3% of
previous years.
None of the other departments, like the assessor’s office, building department,
health department, clerk’s office, or state’s attorney’s office came to me asked for
salaries to match the probation department. I think they, and our taxpayers, just
expect our board members to make sure we are treating all as fairly as possible. At
Wednesday’s meeting, the majority of the board sided with the chair and agreed to
give probation the 3% raises again. The only rational I heard was that the probation
department raises enough money from fees for the extra increase and can squeeze the
money from those fees. Unbelievable. Many departments bring in fee money. None
asked for a bigger slice of the pie. I suggested all departments find the extra money
some place in their budgets and do the same. Now. One board member said maybe
the other departments could hold fund raisers. Seriously?
In my world, that’s just not fair. You be the judge. Talk to your elected officials.
Please.