Public Sector Salaries In Illinois

Let's take a look at some public sector salaries in Illinois, primarily Chicago and Cook County, but in comparison to the Governor's office.

The Chicago Sun-Times is reporting Top cop's pay tops the charts.

They may be the bosses, but Mayor Daley, Gov. Blagojevich and Cook County Board President Todd Stroger are not the top wage earners in their respective governments, according to a Chicago Sun-Times survey of public payrolls.

It turns out that a registered nurse working the night shift at a state Department of Human Services facility for the developmentally disabled made $201,000 last year -- $35,000 more than the governor. And Chicago Police Supt. Jody Weis makes nearly $90,000 a year more than his boss, the mayor, while Stroger's [Cook County Board President's] special assistant Laura Lechowicz-Felicione pulls in $2,700 more than her boss.

Stephanie Marshall, the retiring president of the Illinois Mathematics and Science Academy, also out-earned the governor by more than $95,000.

The nurse, Loreatha Coleman, who works at the state-run Howe Developmental Center in Tinley Park, earns a base salary of about $64,000. But a 10 percent night differential and lots of overtime more than tripled her pay, a DHS spokeswoman said.

Also, dozens of doctors working for the state and county made more than their chief executives. (The Sun-Times didn't count them here in order to better compare administrative salaries, but they are included in an online searchable list of 145,000 city, state and county employees at www.suntimes.com.)

What they make

• Jody P. Weis Chicago -- superintendent of police $309,996
• Stephanie Marshall Illinois -- president, Illinois Mathematics and Science Academy $241,559
• Jon B. Bauman Illinois -- chief operating officer, Teachers' Retirement System $221,405
• Johnny C. Brown Cook County -- chief operating officer, Stroger Hospital $220,737
• Richard M. Daley Chicago -- mayor $216,210
• William R. Atwood Illinois -- director, Board of Investments $206,350
• Loreatha A. Coleman Illinois -- registered nurse, Department of Human Services $201,008
• Stephen A. Martin Jr Cook County -- chief operating officer, Department of Public Health $195,906
• Judith M. Erwin Illinois -- executive director, Board of Higher Education $191,100
• Nuria I. Fernandez Chicago -- commissioner of aviation (resigned) $190,764
• Stephen W. Robinson Illinois -- medical administrator, Department of Human Services $187,623
• Richard A. Devine Cook County -- state's attorney $185,731
• Raymond E. Orozco Chicago -- director, Office of Emergency Management & Communications $189,360

That is a partial list. The article has more. Is it any wonder states and cities are strapped for cash?

Mike "Mish" Shedlock
http://globaleconomicanalysis.blogspot.com
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