The Tazewell County Board voted Wednesday to freeze County Clerk John Ackerman's salary at $101,069 for the next four years, rejecting a 3% annual raise in a meeting that became a prolonged public airing of grievances.
Board members accused Ackerman of a years-long pattern of defying county rules, bypassing budget constraints through independent fee funds, and creating problems that ripple through every other department in county government.
Before the vote, Ackerman addressed the board directly, pushing back against accusations raised at a prior HR Committee meeting. He disputed claims that he was rarely in the office, and he defended a Washington, D.C., trip, saying a nonprofit grant covered the cost. That was in response to a board member who alleged the trip was charged to taxpayers. The trip, Ackerman said, returned $21,000 in election equipment.
"He can look all day long, and he'll never find an airfare charged to the county for this trip," Ackerman added.
Board member Russ Crawford tried to cut through the back-and-forth by asking Ackerman a single, pointed question on the record: would he agree to follow the county's HR and personnel rules going forward?
"I would, as long as they're within the guidelines of the county board to make those decisions," Ackerman said.
Crawford said that was the real issue all along, saying, "I think all they care about is for John to be part of Team Tazewell, to play by the rules that the other county officers and the appointed department heads have to play by."
Board chairman Brett Grimm offered an assessment of why the salary vote was delayed. He said the vote had been deliberately postponed to see if anyone would file to run against Ackerman in the 2026 election. No one did, leaving him unopposed for another four-year term.
“Everything that John [Ackerman] does is good for John and not necessarily for the county,” Grimm said. “At a certain point, the man doesn't deserve a raise."
It is not the first time the board has publicly clashed with Ackerman. In early 2020, he narrowly avoided censure after giving his unionized employees raises outside their collective bargaining agreement, drawing on fee funds he controls. A month later, the board reversed course and censured him 14-1 after he declined to rescind those raises.
Board member Greg Sinn offered a measured note at the end of Wednesday's debate.
"The fact that we had this discussion tonight was monumental," Sinn said. "The grievances were all brought out tonight. They're on record."
The salary freeze takes effect Dec. 1, 2026. Under state law, it cannot be changed for the duration of the four-year term.
— Approved re-keying projects at the McKenzie Building ($63,036) and the courthouse ($81,794).
— Adopted an updated Floodplain Areas Ordinance to comply with new FEMA flood maps, effective July 21.
— Approved a delegation agreement with the Illinois EPA for county health department inspection of solid waste sites through 2031.
— Changed Animal Control's public hours to 9 a.m.–4 p.m.
— Committed local matching funds for federal surface transportation grants on Muller Road and Allentown Road.
— Approved reappointments to the Building Board of Appeals and two fire protection and sanitary districts.
— Approved county trustee resolutions for the sale of back-tax properties.
