Why Does DuPage Pay the Most for its County Clerk?

The DuPage County Clerk is paid 43 percent more than the average salary of top ten other most-populated counties in Illinois.

In every county in Illinois, the electoral process is carried out by the County Clerk’s office, with one exception – DuPage. We are the only county with an independent county-wide electoral process. I’ve been critical of this structure while witnessing years of conflicts of interest, patronage appointments, and massive over-spending.

A conspicuous and strangely overlooked chunk of this over-spending has been the bloated salaries at the top. 

I’ve compiled the clerk salaries of the top ten most-populated counties in Illinois aside from DuPage. The salaries range from $81,500 to $121,700. The average salary is $99,700. 

If you ask any of these county clerks what their number one responsibility is, he or she would say: Administration of elections.

Our county clerk has nothing to do with elections, yet he receives a base salary of $143,000. That’s 43 percent more than the average these other clerks make, with the least amount of responsibility. Our Election Commission director also makes more than any county clerk outside DuPage -- $135,561.

The Lake County County Clerk recently told a local newspaper, "I've always joked that it takes two highly-compensated men in DuPage to do what I do.”

Our county clerk was quoted last year, “I'm glad I don't have to worry about elections.” Indeed.

If there is no willingness for the office of DuPage County Clerk to conduct the electoral process, then the salary should be cut in half. Why be allowed to have it both ways?

On May 27th, the DuPage County Board will be setting salaries for elected officials. I proposed to the Board last week: half the job, half the salary. If they disagree, they must justify to DuPage taxpayers why we should pay more for the same services other counties receive for a lot less.