Study: Northbrook Village Manager is 4th Highest Paid in State

Northbrook's village manager is the fourth highest paid village manager in the state of Illinois, according to a study by For the Good of Illinois, a group that advocates for small government.

Village Manger Richard Nahrstadt is listed in the study as receiving $236,689 in compensation.

His base salary is $191,937.50, according to Northbrook Village President Sandy Frum. The difference in numbers is due to the fact that For the Good Illinois calculates benefits and additional compensation into the numbers it used in the study.

“His total compensation included a buy back of accrued vacation days, and other benefits, as allowed by his contract," Frum explained.

She said that Nahrstadt, who was assistant village manager for 17 years before behing promoted in 2008, is compensated fairly.

"He has and continues to serve the Village with honor and distinction," Frum said. "His salary reflects our full faith and confidence in his ability to manage the Village in keeping with the high standards that our residents expect and deserve and that the Board and staff consistently deliver."      

Narhstadt offered his statement in an email to Northbrook Patch. 

"Over the past 21 years, I have had the privilege and honor of serving Northbrook," he wrote. "I am grateful to the residents as well as Village Boards past and present for the opportunity to serve our outstanding community. The majority of my professional life has been dedicated to the Village of Northbrook. I appreciate the support and am proud of the confidence that this community places in my leadership each and every day."

The study lists the 13 highest paid village managers in Illinois. Nahrstadt, according to the study, was fourth, and one of seven to make more money than Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel. Neighboring , according to the study.

Bruno Behrend, executive director of For the Good of Illinois, told Northbrook Patch that he believes the numbers his group lists for compensation are closer to reality.

“Our data represents the earned wages as they are reported to the various pension systems," he said. "It is a more accurate representation of the true cost to the taxpayer than the base salary contract.”

According to Open the Books, For the Good of Illinois’ data mining initiative of Illinois municipal budgets, wages for Northbrook Village employees have gone up by almost 50 percent since 2005. In 2005, total village salaries stood at $19,565,550 and in 2011 they were $28,016,097.

Behrend emphasized that larger salaries weren’t only a current commitment but normally increase the size of the yearly pension of each employee upon retirement.

The village's annual budget has had a milder increase. In 2007, total expenditures were $65,760,599 and in the current 2012/2013 the approved expenditures will be $86,976,284.