Bensenville residents to vote on village president's proposed 300% salary increase

BENSENVILLE, Ill. - Bensenville voters will decide next month whether to approve a significant change to their local government—one that would eliminate the village administrator position and increase the village president's salary by more than 300%.

Village President Frank DeSimone, who currently earns $26,000 annually, is proposing to take on the responsibilities of the village administrator, a move that would raise his pay to $172,000 per year. 

Dig deeper:

The referendum, set for April 1, will ask residents whether they want to maintain the current system, where a separate administrator handles most of the day-to-day operations of the village.

The proposal has sparked controversy among residents, with some reporting incidents of harassment and intimidation related to the vote. Critics argue that consolidating power under DeSimone could open the door to corruption.

"If the government changes, that means that Frank DeSimone, Village President, Trustees could buy up the properties for themselves, resell it, have full control, and there will be a lot of corruption. A lot of corruption. This is out of control, this town," said Bensenville resident Peter Georgiades.

Some residents have complained that DeSimone has purchased properties through an LLC and then resold them to the village for a profit. 

They fear that if voters reject the current system, DeSimone would gain unchecked power over such transactions.

A "Yes" vote in the referendum would keep the current government structure in place, while a "No" vote would give DeSimone full administrative control along with his proposed salary increase.

DeSimone responded to FOX 32's report with outrage, calling the claims against him false and defamatory.

"What was said today was a blatant lie and slander that not only affects me, but affects me and my family, and now it's time for me to start fighting back," said DeSimone. 

When asked whether he was profiting from his role as village president, he firmly denied it. "100% no," he said

DeSimone argued that a "No" vote on the referendum would ultimately benefit taxpayers.

"I get a part-time salary for being a part-time mayor, right? Anybody who gets a full-time job would expect a full-time salary. We are going to get a full-time salary out of it, probably about $130,000 plus a year less than what we would pay a village manager, plus the village president can not get any raises, which employees do get raises every year. So no, we actually are saving the village a lot of money on this move," said DeSimone. 

As for the allegations against DeSimone, there is no evidence of any wrongdoing.

What they're saying:

In response to concerns, a village spokesperson issued a statement: "Regardless of the outcome, village leaders will respect the results, which will not impact our overall mission: to provide residents with high-quality services, sound financial management and continue to work each day to make this community a great place to live, work and raise a family."

What's next:

Residents will vote on this referendum next month.