Naperville Township Trustees' to Discuss Their Job Perks

Naperville Township trustees will discuss tonight whether to make changes in retirement fund and benefits policies for the township’s part-time board.

The concern was , who lobbied last month for it to be added to tonight’s annual meeting agenda. Dorr told trustees March 8 that he was appalled that the township has been footing the bill for their Illinois Municipal Retirement Funds and health benefits since 2006.

The perks are available to all of those serving in local trustee positions, which are part time and in 2010, came with a salary of $7,300, according to a township document outlining trustee and elected officials' annual compensation.

Three of the four current trustees— Fred Spitzzeri, May Yurgaitis and David Wentz —are all enrolled to receive benefits, documents state. Trustee Esin Busche has never opted in.

Dorr’s eventual goal is to bring the issue to a referendum vote in a future election, he has said. He told trustees he was outraged to learn through his own digging that between 2006 and 2010, the township paid about $200,000 for trustees' IMRF and medical insurance.

But his primary concern was that trustees were behind in their premium payments, he said.

Documents show that as of Feb. 25, Wentz owed $1,000 to the township, which has fronted a total of $28,924 in premiums to cover his family's medical insurance from July 1, 2009 to Jan. 1, 2011.

Spitzzeri had also fallen behind in the past—specifically in 2009, when he made a $761 payment in August for a $4,056 July tab that had been accruing since May. He paid the $3,294 balance in December of 2009, documents state.

While providing the benefits is legal in Illinois, employees are required to pay premiums, Emily Miller, policy and government affairs coordinator with the Better Government Association, has said.

The township's elected officials vote for their own salaries and benefits every four years and annual information is outlined on its Website, said local officials. Other documents are public record and can be attained via Freedom of Information Act requests.

Tonight's annual meeting will begin at 7:30 p.m. at the Naperville Township Highway Department, 31W331 North Aurora Road.