The Brookhaven leader., 1885-04-16
The Fay OF Gu. City Officials.

the meeting nf the City Council Last
Monday, aud will now lie over until
the next regular meeting, during
which Interval tho list of sisners
will he Increased
TENDING action on the subject. it
might br WEI tnr all parties con
cerned To he Informed as To the
grounds on which objections to the
present rate Of pay Of the Mayor
and Marshal is based. We stated
in last weeks LEADER that "aecord-
ing To our Information, no town on
the Illinois Central in proportion to
size and duty performed, pays its
chief officials so much as Brook
haven" Since that time We have
received accurate Information on the
subject from Summit and Wesson
two neighboring towns virtually the
exact size Of Brookhaven-and this
in Information confirms our statement.
In Sunni: the Mayor receives a
stated salary of $4,000 per month:
the Marshal $40. 90, and the Clerk
$l5.OO-paid in city warrants worth
So cents on the dollar. In addition
IN their stated salaries, the Mayor
and Marshal get as perquisites the
cost fees allowed by the Code TO
Justices of the Peace and Consta
ibles; the Clerk receives no pcrqui-
sites whatever.
In Wesson the discrepancy in
salary is still greater. The Mayor
receives n stated salary of $l5 90
per month; The Marshal $4,000, and
the ClerS and City Treasuror-otfi.
ces combined in one q per cent on
receipts and disbursements, amount
ing altogether to some $4,000 or
$4,000 per annum. The Mayor
and Marshal-who are also respect
lively er oficio Justice Of the Peace
and Consiable-receivc in addition
to their stated salaries the usual
cost fees allowed by law to such Off
GERS, which on an average, brings
the Mayors pay up to $31 90 per
month, and the Marshals To $5e CO.
The Clerk receives no other compen-
sation tnan the 5 per cent mentioned
above.
The inequality between Brook
haven and these places is still more
apparent when some additional facts
are stated. Our Mayor is paid a
fixed salary OF $4,000 per month,
with city warrants at par. Our
Marshal is also paid stated salary
of $50. 90 and our Clerk $500! The
city charter makes the Mayor and
Marshal &c oficio j. p. and Consta
BILE, with jurisdiction over all civi
and criminal cases coming within
The corporate limits, and in addition
to his fixed salary, the Marshal i,
entitled to all perquisites by virtue
Of both the office of Marshal and
Constable. The Mayor would be
entitled to like additional com
pensation, but soon after assumi1 G
the duties of his office, in consider
alton of the fact that his salar,
should be raised from $50 90 tt
$4,000 per month, he waived al
claims to any perquisites, But JUS
here another important fact may bt
stated. During the entire incum
bcncy of His Honor since this un
derstanding was had-now about /,
years time the total amount which
has accrued to the City treasury
from his court, INCLUDING both fine!
and Mayors perQuisites, as we arr
informed by the City Clerk, foots uI
but $50 90 all told; or, in otEc
words, just enough to pay the in
crease in salary for four months
AS it is thus shown that the Mayo
hasn't been laboring to any grea
extent with the lawless class, til,
question irresistibly comes HON,
to the mind of the Taxpayer. wha
does he do to earn his salary?
In addition to his stated salar,
our Clerk receives a fee of 81 90 OF
each privilege license issued.
We could trace the subject still
further with interest, bat have stat
ed enough already to show tina
there is ample ground for complain
and the step that has been taken
None shouldbe so parsimonious as tt
begrudge their public servants fai
compep satinn for services actually
rendered. but more than this is use
less extravaganza, to which til,
. I IL. nl.1,,ll