The Joliet City Council has approved raises that will impact the salaries of future elected officials.

The ordinance approved by the council Tuesday stipulates that the mayor of Joliet would get a $7,000 pay increase starting in May 2027, which will be right after the next mayoral election. 

Though he would not benefit from the pay raise unless he is re-elected, Mayor Terry D’Arcy on Tuesday still voted against the pay increase, saying “it is not his idea” to put the item on the council floor for consideration. Council member Larry Hug, who represents District 1, also voted against the motion.

Conversely, the three at-large council seats on the upcoming spring election will get their pay hikes right after the municipal election next year. If Joe Clement, Cesar Guerrero and Jan Quillman are re-elected or their challengers defeat them, they will each receive a $4,000 pay raise effective May 5, 2025.

Current district council members like Hug and Pat Mudron also won’t see the pay raises until May 2027, if they are re-elected in three years.

City Manager Beth Beatty reiterated that the pay raises will not impact current council members.

“It only applies to individuals that are elected or re-elected if the ordinance is adopted,” she said in her memo to the council. “Compensation for the mayor and council has only been modified three times in the last 29 years. The last change was a reduction 13 years ago.”

The ordinance adopted Tuesday increased council member’s annual salary to $23,000 and re-elected mayor or newly elected mayor’s salary to $40,250, which, according to Beatty, reflects a 2 percent annual inflation adjustment.

Mudron considers the pay increase long time coming and hopes additional funds will help future council members offset their costs like gas in their vehicles.

“No one would take this part-time job if they are looking at income only,” said Mudron. “This is not keeping up with inflation at all.”

In other city news, the council also approved spending up to $95,000 to buy a motorized electric tram for use in downtown Joliet.

According to Beatty, the tram would “facilitate visitor and citizen movement throughout the downtown area during and after ongoing construction activities. This vehicle will also potentially be available for use by entities such as the Joliet Area Historical Museum and Heritage Corridor destinations.”

Beatty said the city would be reimbursed for purchase of this zero-emissions vehicle through the Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grant administered by the U.S. Department of Energy. Since there are no immediate trams available for purchase, Beatty said these vehicles will have to be built by a chosen supplier. She also told the council that the installation of charging stations will require additional funds.

Hug and Clement voted against the electric tram, with Hug casting the no vote after finding out at the meeting that the bus would only seat 15 people.

“I don’t think we have a need for it now,” said Clement. “May be one to two years down the line. I don’t see a need for the tram since it won’t have much of an impact.”

But D’Arcy said such modes of transportation are not new to Joliet as the city did buy a 20-passenger shuttle bus for $51,000 in 2008.

“We’ve been working hard to help businesses during construction time (in downtown),” said D’Arcy. This is a way to bring families to town.”

Suzanna Ibarra, who represents District 5, said older people like her mother who walks with a cane could benefit from the tram.

“We are going to be helping out people with mobility issues,” she said.