Should Interim Mayor Get $36K Pay Bump if Voted in by Board?

(Photo Credit: The Village of Tinley Park)

Thanks to bonuses based on years of service, Tinley Park Trustee Dave Seaman could receive quite the pay raise if the Village Board votes to turn his tenure as interim mayor into a permanent gig.

Seaman, who was chosen by Mayor Ed Zabrocki earlier this month to be interim mayor, stands to pocket about $36,000 in longevity bonuses if he’s appointed by the board some time in June, the Chicago Tribune reports.

READ: Tinley Park Mayor Ed Zabrocki Resigns

Zabrocki, 73, announced May 6 he was stepping down as of June 1 as mayor because of health reasons. He will officially submit his resignation to the board at its next meeting Tuesday, May 19. His term ends in 2017.

The bonuses have been in place since 2005 and consist of a 2-percent increase of the official’s base salary each year after the first eight in office, the report stated. The base salary for Tinley Park mayor is $32,000, the report added.

READ: Tinley Park Looks to Fill Vacancy on Village Board After Mayor’s Resignation

If Seaman were to begin finishing out the remainder of Zabrocki’s term June 1, his salary would be $46,257, the report added. Seaman has been on the board since 1984.

Some trustees, however, object to the idea of rewarding longevity bonuses, the report stated. While they support Seaman becoming mayor, they don’t like idea incentivizing years of service, the report added.

“The salary should be set no matter who’s the mayor, it should be the same whether you’ve been there 30 years or 5 years,” Trustee Brian Younker told the Tribune.

>>Via the Chicago Tribune

WHAT DO YOU THINK? Should the Village of Tinley Park continue its practice of longevity bonuses? If elected by the board to be the new mayor, should Trustee Dave Seaman waive the bonuses he would receive? Or are the bonuses the types of reward system the village needs to have to keep good candidates running for office? Leave your thoughts and opinions in the comments section.