Elmhurst Aldermen Get No Raise In 25 Years

ELMHURST, IL – Elmhurst aldermen have seen their salaries lose much value over the years.

Their pay hasn't increased in a quarter century.

They are paid $2,400 a year. If their pay had kept up with inflation, they would now make $4,500.

It's rarely popular for elected officials to increase their salaries.

In October 2024, aldermen Tina Park and Brian Cahill, both of whom decided against seeking re-election in spring 2025, asked the City Council to review the issue.

"(T)he low compensation can favor more affluent community members, keeping some from being able to run and serve," the aldermen said in a memo.

Their memo did not include the mayor's salary, which has been $8,000 for 25 years. With inflation, it would have reached $15,000 by now.

Any pay increase could only take effect with new terms.

Last September, the council's finance committee discussed pay for aldermen. Members asked staff for more information.

Aldermen get far less than their counterparts in township governments, which have fewer functions and far smaller budgets.

A week before the aldermen's memo, Patch reported that York Township trustees make $7,500 a year, while those in Addison Township pulled in $6,000.

Elmhurst's elected city officials attend about 50 meetings a year. That works out to about $50 a meeting for an alderman, not including the time they spend studying issues and speaking with constituents.

Township boards typically meet about 13 times a year.

Under Illinois law, school and park board members aren't paid.

Some towns, such as Hinsdale and Clarendon Hills, pay nothing to their village presidents and trustees.

Others, including Bensenville, pay more. The village president receives $26,000, while trustees get $12,000. Elmhurst's population is more than twice Bensenville's.

In April 2025, two-thirds of Bensenville's voters rejected a proposal to give the village president a $119,000 raise.