The Oak Lawn Village Board rewarded Village Manager Tom Phelan with a 5% merit raise for what they called his dedication to the village and its finances.
The increase approved this week will raises his annual salary from $196,267 to $206,080, retroactive to July 1, 2023.
“I’ve been overly impressed with his commitment, his work, his budgetary performance and his staffing,” Oak Lawn Mayor Terry Vorderer said.
In a statement, the Village Board said Phelan “is diligent and dedicated to developing the economic interests of the village. He effectively manages the village staff and is focused on making sound financial decisions. His involvement and relationships with the community, the residents and surrounding towns is excellent.”
In addition to a cost-of-living increase, Phelan’s contract allows for annual merit raises, but he did not receive one in 2022, Vorderer said.
Phelan, who received a 3% cost of living raise in May, has been village manager since July 2021. Immediately before being hired for that position, he represented District 6 on the Village Board.
“In order to attract and retain top talent for this position, an increase to the salary is necessary,” the statement read.
The board was given a list of village or city manager salaries in 35 Chicago area towns that showed three-fourths were higher than Phelan’s, Vorderer said.
At the top of the list was the Buffalo Grove village manager, who oversees a town with about 42,600 residents. His Village Board this year gave him a $30,000 bonus on top of his base salary of about $292,000.
Elmhurst, with about 47,520 residents, paid its city manager $260,355, according to the research of Oak Lawn’s village staff earlier in 2023.
Their survey showed Naperville with about 149,525 residents, paid its city manager $214,853, while Downers Grove, with an estimated 48,260 residents, paid $217,158.
Closer to Oak Lawn and its estimated population of 58,362, were Tinley Park, home to about 54,800 residents, which paid its village manager $179,600, and Orland Park, with an estimated population of 56,890, and a village manager salary of $188,200.
The Village Board on Tuesday also approved a 3-year contract with the Oak Lawn Police Supervisors Association.
The contract, retroactive to Jan. 1, 2023 and expiring Dec. 31, 2025, covers 23 members of the Fraternal Order of Police, who have the rank of sergeant, lieutenant, commander or division chief, said Janie Vulich, the village’s human resources director.
They all will receive a 3.5% salary increase in each year of the contract.
Sergeants’ salary will be $136,920, retroactive to Jan. 1, 2023 and rise to $141,712 on Jan. 1, 2024, with a subsequent 3.5% increase in the third year of the agreement.
Lieutenants will be paid $147,788 as of Jan. 1, 2023 and $152,961 starting Jan. 1, 2024.
The starting pay for commander is $160,965, retroactive to Jan. 1, and will rise to $166,599 on Jan. 1, 2024.
The salary schedule states those amounts include 16 hours per month of extra duty pay.
The village has yet to finalize a new contract with other members of its Police Department. The patrol officers are operating under the terms of their four-year contract, which expired Dec. 31. They are represented by the Metropolitan Alliance of Police, Oak Lawn Chapter 309, Phelan said.
“We have been in negotiations with (the union) for several months and hope to have a new agreement in the next few weeks,” Phelan said.
Vorderer said Sept. 12 there are a few matters which the village and the police union have yet to agree and that may go to arbitration.
Kimberly Fornek is a freelance reporter for the Daily Southtown.
