Show of support for Lynwood, Illinois mayor after questions about her salary
Lynwood, Illinois Mayor Jada Curry was showered support Tuesday as she is up for reelection — and after CBS News Chicago's reporting last night questioning her nearly $100,000 salary.
The Lynwood Village Board meeting was packed Tuesday night, and many in attendance said Curry deserves every penny of that salary.
Inside the regularly scheduled village board meeting in the south Chicago suburb, there were several rounds of applause and standing ovations. One after another, longtime residents voiced their support for Curry.
On Monday night, CBS News Chicago's Lauren Victory pressed the mayor about her salary, and why she is taking home nearly triple the amount in the budget for her position.
Before Curry was elected four years ago, an ordinance drastically reduced the mayoral salary from $85,000 to $20,000 a year.
It took the village nearly two months to hand over Mayor Curry's payroll records. When the village finally did so, the records showed Curry brought home $98,333.42 in 2024.
Curry is currently paid for three different positions — village president at $20,000, cannabis commissioner at $5,000, liquor commissioner at $10,000. That amounts to a grand total of $35,000 in the village budget.
So where did that extra cash of more than $60,000 come from to get Curry's salary up to $98,333.42? A subsequent statement said Curry was paid for meetings — which were documented in her paystubs as payouts of $2,500 every two weeks.
But current and income village trustees made a statement at the meeting Tuesday night highlighting all the improvements Mayor Curry has made to the village — followed by at least a dozen longtime residents echoing that statement.
However, outgoing trustee Rolanda Clark said she would like to see more transparency when it comes to Mayor Curry's salary.
"It wasn't about her salary. OK, $95,000 for 10,000 residents — that's still a lot," Clark said. "What the debate is how you went about reporting it to the Illinois Municipal Retirement Board."
LaRoyce Clay-Williams has lived in Lynwood for over 30 years.
"The reason why I came out tonight specifically was because of the footage that was aired the other day," Clay-Williams said.
She said with Mayor Curry, there is no lack of transparency.
"I saw what it used to be. I see what it is now," Clay-Williams said. "We've come a long way with Mayor Curry in just one year. So just imagine what she's going to do in her second term."
Mayor Curry closed out the public comments portion of the meeting saying that she is humbled by the support, and that she is only focused on the job at hand and will not be commenting on her salary from this point on.
Mayor Curry recently won the Democratic primary for another term for Lynwood mayor. She is on the ballot for the April 1 general election, and unless there is a write-in candidate, she is unopposed and likely to win.
