Bonus For Clarendon Hills Manager On Table

CLARENDON HILLS, IL – The Clarendon Hills Village Board on Monday plans to vote on giving a bonus and a raise to the village manager, who was suspended for a couple of weeks earlier this year.

In a memo to the board last week, Manager Kevin Barr said the board discussed his compensation in an April 18 closed meeting.

Based on previous discussions, Barr said, he was poised to receive a 3 percent raise and a $3,400 bonus.

"Please advise if you have any questions regarding this matter, and thank you for your support," Barr said in the memo.

Barr's new salary would be $174,890, a $5,000 increase.

In January, Assistant Village Manager Zach Creer falsely told Patch that Barr was on personal leave and working from home.

Through public records requests, Patch discovered Barr was suspended and cut off from access to the village's computer network.

In a January email, Village President Len Austin informed Barr that he was being placed on administrative leave, a decision to which Barr objected.

The village has declined to release any complaints that led to his suspension. At the time, he had come under criticism for joking about the fire chief's age and revealing a firefighter's medical information at a public meeting.

Upon his return to Village Hall, the Village Board approved a new contract with Barr that made it easier for the board to fire him. Austin later told the board he stood by Barr.

Austin has not returned messages for comment over the last few months. It is unclear whether he ordered Creer to give the public a false story about Barr.

Barr's contract expires after next April's village election.