Money can always bring out lengthy discussions and when it comes to taxpayer money, that will always warrant conversations about whether it’s too much or too little.  Hart Media Group sat down with Bryan Sharp to discuss the most recent salary updates for the County Board to find out why those payments were what they were, what got changed, and what lies in store for Christian County in 2026 and beyond.  

At the most recent  board meeting, the county agreed that they would give an annual sum to the county board members of $3600.  This is a change from what used to be.  Sharp says that there was a rate of $100, with $25 per meeting, and mileage payment. With the change going forward this simplifies it so that there is just a flat rate total that gets rid of the pays per meeting and mileage payments and just allows for a total payment. 

While that number may seem high, Sharp says that number compared to other counties is quite low. The United Counties Council of Illinois which keeps track of salary numbers in the area, compares Christian County other counties and finds the numbers lower than they should be. Sharp says it’s hard to compare because Christian County has so many unique situations. 

The County Board Chairman salary is $20,000 and that is raised to $24,000. Sharp was not included in that conversation, and he says that the work that is involved in being a chairman is a lot more than most people realize. 

In other departments; The County Clerk, Treasurer, and Supervisor of Assessments saw increases from their current 78,000 and will see an increase of 2.5% to $86,100 and $88,252.50 and $90,458.81, and $92,720.28. 

These new salaries will go into effect after the November election after the new members are sworn in.  One of the big reasons why these changes were put into place is the board needs to make sure they are in a good place moving forward with how the economy is sitting and with the way Illinois is moving forward with setting their own rules on salaries.  

Sharp says that as far as this year goes, things are going well for the county right now.  He believes though that there are a lot of serious issues that the county could potentially face this year including data centers, rising costs, and regulatory mandates. 

The next county board meeting is set for April 21st, 2026.