City of Freeport Pay Raises Draw Scrutiny as Leadership Salaries Soar
FREEPORT, IL – August 07, 2025
As Freeport residents grapple with rising costs and declining public trust, new data reveals top city officials are quietly enjoying substantial pay raises—with City Manager Rob Boyer receiving the most dramatic salary increase of all.
According to 2024 payroll records, the City of Freeport employs 110 individuals with an average salary of $46,623. But that number barely scratches the surface. Executive-level employees have received raises far above the average worker—with Rob Boyer’s salary jumping by nearly $15,000 in a single year.
Leadership Salary Increases: 2023 vs. 2024
The average raise across these six department heads was approximately $4,585—but Boyer’s raise alone accounts for nearly 25% of that total.
While Wages Rose, So Did Taxes
While Rob Boyer’s compensation ballooned in 2024, he also actively advocated for and helped implement multiple tax increases that hit Freeport families directly:
In 2024, Boyer pushed for and helped pass a 1% sales tax increase, promising residents that the revenue would go toward future road work.
But in 2025, residents learned that was not true. The funds were never earmarked for roads, and no road-specific improvement plan tied to the tax has materialized.In 2025, after Governor J.B. Pritzker suspended the statewide 1% grocery tax, Boyer didn’t celebrate the relief for working families—instead, he fought for Freeport to implement the tax locally.
The result? While other Illinois residents enjoyed grocery tax relief, Freeport residents kept paying more—by decision of their own city leadership.
Let that sink in: While Boyer was cashing a check with an 11.5% raise, he was also working behind the scenes to make sure you paid more at the checkout counter.
Contract Violations & Legal Risk
As previously reported by Fighting4Freeport, Boyer’s contract explicitly requires an annual performance review by the mayor and city council. Yet Mayor Jodi Miller has refused to conduct these evaluations, putting the city in direct breach of contract.
That failure means Freeport is now legally vulnerable. If Boyer were ever terminated or disciplined without documented reviews, taxpayers could be liable for lawsuits or settlement payouts.
So not only is he overpaid and under-reviewed—but residents may one day pay even more if legal action is taken due to the city's negligence.
⚖️ Two Sets of Rules?
While Freeport’s workforce earns just under $47,000 per year on average, Boyer now makes more than three times that, with no public performance evaluation and little accountability.
Residents are being told to “tighten their belts,” but city leadership is doing the opposite—inflating paychecks while inflating taxes.
✅ Final Thoughts
Rob Boyer has positioned himself at the center of power and pay in Freeport—receiving the largest raise in city government, helping pass misleading tax hikes, and violating the very contract designed to hold him accountable.
Freeport deserves better. Freeport deserves leadership that serves, not enriches itself.
Fighting4Freeport will continue to track spending, expose the spin, and fight for accountability.
—Brought to you and paid for by Fighting4Freeport
