Campton Hills board sets interim treasurer pay at $40; finance committee warns of possible six‑figure shortfall

Campton Hills — The village board voted to set the new treasurer’s compensation at the current hourly rate of $40 and included an acknowledgment in the motion about the village’s nepotism policy, saying the policy would be waived because there is no supervisory relationship.

The action, moved by an unnamed board member and seconded on the floor, proceeded to roll call. Several trustees were recorded as voting “aye.” The transcript does not provide a complete, named vote tally in sequence; the motion was announced as approved in discussion that followed. The motion language also included a statement that the board was aware of the applicable village code provisions on compensation and nepotism.

Why it matters: Trustees debated the pay decision while also confronting questions about whether recent personnel changes and hires could push the village over its fiscal limits. The compensation item was tied directly to a broader conversation about budget amendments, which one speaker noted is attached to an ordinance that requires a two‑thirds vote.

Board debate and context
Supporters said hiring multiple part‑time or hourly employees at the $40 rate would be less costly than retaining a single higher‑paid employee and that prior staffing problems — including incomplete reconciliations attributed to a former employee named Timothy — justified the new arrangement. One trustee said, “Bring all those arguments to the table when we're actually amending the budget,” urging the board to document financial justification for future amendments.

Finance committee projection
Michael O'Dwyer, speaking for the finance committee, presented an extrapolation based on seven months of actual spending. “Under that method, the police would go over by 57,000,” he said, and estimated another department would be about $102,000 over under the same trend, producing a combined potential exceedance on the order of just over $100,000 if no corrective measures are taken. O'Dwyer characterized the numbers as a warning flag rather than a forecast of inevitable overspending and said the finance committee would provide regular data and follow‑up reports to keep the board informed.

Staff said some relief is expected from escrow repayments that will move to the operating budget, and the finance committee and staff agreed to show those amounts to the board at upcoming meetings.

Procedure and next steps
Trustees discussed reinstating a standard agenda memo format that would include a concise budget or general‑ledger line showing any fiscal impact for each action the board takes. Several board members supported that procedural change as a way to make future budget implications clearer and to flag when a formal budget amendment — which requires a higher legal threshold when attached to an ordinance — will be necessary.

The board also handled related personnel items, including an oath of office for the village treasurer (recorded in the transcript with the treasurer sworn in) and recognition of trustees who assisted with meeting records. The finance committee committed to follow‑up reporting over the next several months to clarify whether projected overruns will materialize and to identify offsets or required amendments.

The meeting adjourned following the business and no closed session was called.