Bill
SB 3621
The bill standardizes local officer pay to 80% of the State’s Attorney salary (with state-funded stipends) for many counties, shifting budgets toward uniform salaries.
Date Introduced: February 5, 2026
Sponsor: Sen. Seth Lewis
Co-sponsors: Sen. Paul Faraci, Sen. Sally Turner
Committee: Appropriations (assigned)
Purpose
- To restructure local government officer compensation across Illinois counties, focusing on parallelism with the salaries of the State’s Attorneys and adjusting compensation for several elected/appointed county offices (e.g., coroner, county treasurer, county clerk, recorder, auditor, clerk of the circuit court, and related election-commission roles).
- The bill creates a two-tiered framework: one for counties with fewer than 2,000,000 inhabitants and one for counties with 2,000,000 or more inhabitants, with an eventual transition to uniform 80% alignment to the State’s Attorney salary in many cases.
Key Provisions
1) General salary framework (for elected/appointed supervisors of assessments)
- Beginning December 1, 2029, supervisors of assessments (those whose term began on or after December 1, 2026) would be paid a salary equal to 80% of the county’s State’s Attorney salary.
- The salary is paid by the county, with 66 2/3% of the annual salary funded by the State.
- Counties must provide office space and pay office expenses.
- Eligible supervisors with a Certified Assessing Evaluator Certificate receive an additional $500/year (paid from the Personal Property Tax Replacement Fund).
- If the Department determines property value as a percentage of equalized value within specified ranges, partial State reimbursement is provided through November 30, 2026, and then at 66 2/3% from December 1, 2026 onward.
2) Compensation for other county officers (two population-based tracks)
- Sections 4-6001 and 4-6002 (55 ILCS 5) set compensation for coroners, county treasurers, county clerks, recorders, and auditors in counties with fewer than 2,000,000 inhabitants, with minimum annual pay scales tied to county population.
- A separate subsection 4-6005 (new) prescribes that beginning December 1, 2026, compensation for those officers in counties with fewer than 2,000,000 inhabitants shall be 80% of the county’s State’s Attorney salary, with State reimbursement of 66 2/3% of the officer’s salary, and a continuing annual stipend of $12,800 (adjusted annually) to certain officers (county clerks, recorders, auditors, coroners, treasurers, and chief clerks of county boards of election commissioners) starting in fiscal year 2027.
- The stipend payments are to be made from dedicated state funds (split between the State Board of Elections and the Department of Revenue as applicable) and are in addition to base compensation.
- The stipend increases annually based on a wage/salary index administered by the Bureau of Labor Statistics (as measured by Appendix A: County Official Compensation Task Force Legislative Proposal).
3) Clerks of the Circuit Court (Section 27.3, 705 ILCS 105)
- Beginning December 1, 2026, Clerks of the Circuit Court in counties with fewer than 2,000,000 inhabitants will receive compensation equal to 80% of the amount paid to the State’s Attorney of the clerk’s county, with State funding of 66 2/3% of this compensation.
- An annual state-funded award (stipend) is added to recognize the additional duties specified in various statutes, with a schedule culminating in a $12,800 annual stipend starting in fiscal year 2027, adjusted annually.
- The stipend is in addition to base pay and not part of base compensation; counties remain responsible for tax reporting/withholding and pension contributions on the stipend.
- The Clerks of the Circuit Court may receive the stipend from a dedicated state-fund, with distributions routed through the Supreme Court.
4) Officers in counties with more than 2,000,000 inhabitants (Section 4-8003)
- Beginning December 1, 2026, compensation for coroners, treasurers, clerks, recorders, and auditors in large counties shall be 80% of the State’s Attorney salary, with 66 2/3% state funding.
- A corresponding annual stipend of $12,800 (adjusted annually) is provided to the same list of officers (and chief election clerks) beginning in 2027, funded through a dedicated state fund and distributed by the appropriate state agency, with annual adjustments.
Timeline and Funding
- December 1, 2026: New compensation framework for many local officers begins in various counties (thresholds depend on county population).
- December 1, 2029: Supervisors of assessments begin 80%-of-State’s-Attorney salary payout.
- July 1, 2024 and onward: Stipends for some county officers (per current transitions) are reinforced and revised, with stipends adjusted annually based on wage indices.
- Ongoing annual adjustments: stipends are adjusted by wage/salary changes as reported by the Bureau of Labor Statistics, with rounding to the nearest $25 increment.
Who is Affected
- Supervisors of assessments (new term-based eligibility after December 1, 2026; later 2029 payout).
- Coroners, county treasurers, county clerks, recorders, auditors, and clerks of the circuit court (in counties <2,000,000; and in larger counties under the new framework).
- Chief clerks of county boards of election commissions (stipend recipients in large and small counties under the new framework).
- County boards and state agencies (State Board of Elections, Department of Revenue, Supreme Court) implementing and funding the stipends.
- County treasurers and clerks for payroll tax withholding and pension contributions on stipends.
Notes
- The bill emphasizes funding via the Personal Property Tax Replacement Fund and/or General Revenue Fund, with specific 66 2/3% or 50% reimbursements in certain periods.
- The aim appears to standardize local officer compensation relative to State’s Attorney salaries and institute periodic increases tied to statewide wage indices.
Overall Impact
- This bill would materially adjust the compensation structure for a broad set of county-level officers, shifting toward a simplified rule (80% of State’s Attorney salary) while adding state-funded stipends to offset the cost and recognizing additional duties. It would require substantial changes to county budgets, payroll processes, and state funding allocations, with phased implementation beginning in 2026-2027 and adjustments through 2029 and beyond.
Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.
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