47 Joliet Cops Get $100,000 Pensions Or More

JOLIET, IL — After a rocky tenure as Joliet's chief of police, Brian Benton submitted his retirement notice at City Hall last summer. His retirement became official in November when he turned 50. These days, Benton is collecting an annual police pension of $118,243. Benton can expect that figure to increase about 3 percent annually due to a cost of living adjustment as he gets older.

In addition to his $118,243 starting pension, Benton also made another $130,649 for cashing out his large nest egg of unused vacation days, compensatory time and sick leave at the time of his departure from the city of Joliet last year.

Benton was hardly alone.

He was one of four upper command staff who retired last year with a severance payout exceeding $100,000 plus a lifetime pension of more than $100,000.

In another exclusive public spending story, Joliet Patch tracked down the Joliet Police Pension Fund annual statement for 2018, a report that is a matter of public record and gets filed with the Illinois Department of Insurance.

An analysis of the data indicates there are at least 47 retired Joliet Police officers who are now getting annual pensions of at least $100,000. For some of them, it's substantially more.

The highest pension goes to Dave Gerdes, who retired as chief in 2006. His Joliet Police pension is nearly $153,000 a year.

The second highest pension goes to Fred Hayes, who replaced Gerdes as chief and retired in August 2011. Hayes' current pension from Joliet is nearly $140,000. Additionally, Hayes makes more than $132,000 annually as the current chief of police in Elwood, according to the Illinois Better Government Association public salary database totals from 2017.

In the years ahead, Joliet's taxpayers may be asked to shoulder a greater burden to pay for the skyrocketing pensions at the police and fire departments — as well as the ever-increasing retirement payouts for outgoing police officers. Like Benton and his command staff, rank-and-file officers can also build up large nest eggs of unused vacation, sick leave and comp time to squirrel away to cash out at their retirement.

If the current trend continues, the city may be forced to divert more money away from public services and postpone major infrastructure improvement projects.

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In 2018, the city of Joliet had to make the following six-figure retirement payouts:

• $130,649 to Benton for cashing out his unused vacation, sick and comp time banks.
• $131,498 to Deputy Chief of Administration Tab Jensen.
• $116,360 to Deputy Chief of Technical Services Brian Dupuis
• $118,182 to Deputy Chief of Operations Edgar Gregory

Joliet's Finance Department informed Patch on Tuesday that the current city property tax levy generates more than $17 million for the police pension fund and about $13.4 million for the fire pension fund. For more background, read this January article in The Joliet Herald-News.

As it stands, the city's police pension is about 54.3 percent funded and the fire pension is 52 percent funded.

As part of our continuing commitment to public transparency, Joliet Patch has assembled a listing for all Joliet Police Department retirees who are getting annual pensions of at least $100,000.

(Most of the following data is in alphabetical order.)

1. Joliet Police Sgt. Steven Bajt, 30 years service, retired January 2014
Salary for JPD pension: $120,357
Original pension: $90,268
Current pension: $101,750

2. Donovan Bartelt, 32 years service, retired May 2006
Salary for JPD pension: $96,358
Original pension: $72,269
Current pension: $103,038

3. Brian Benton, 28 years of service, retired November 2018 as chief of police
Salary for JPD pension: $168,919
Original pension: $118,243
Current pension: Same, $118,243

4. Benjamin Billups, 25 years of service, retired February 2011,
Salary for JPD pension: $132,194
Original pension: $82,621
Current pension: $100,801

5. Michael Botzum, 25 years of service, retired as a captain in January 2015
Salary for JPD pension: $147,167
Original pension: $91,979
Current pension: $100,508

6. Robert Brenczewski, 35 years of service, retired July 2006
Salary for JPD pension: $96,358
Original pension: $72,269
Current pension: $103,038

7. Robert Briney, 39 years of service, retired as a captain in March 2016
Salary for JPD pension: $150,392
Original pension: $112,794
Current pension: $119,663

8. Edward Browne, 30 years of service, retired January 2006
Salary for JPD pension: $105,658
Original pension: $79,244
Current pension: $113,993

9. Richard Chizmark, 33 years of service, retired January 2007
Salary for JPD pension: $100,840
Original pension: $75,630
Current pension: $104,690

10. Frank Christian, 30 years of service, retired May 2010
Salary for JPD pension: $111,632
Original pension: $83,724
Current pension: $106,059

11. Wayne Clements, 34 years of service, retired April 2009
Salary for JPD pension: $107,473
Original pension: $80,605
Current pension: $105,171

12. Gordon Corp, 30 years of service, retired July 2011
Salary for JPD pension: $128,383
Original pension: $96,287
Current pension: $118,421

13. Brian Dupuis, 28 years of service, retired as a deputy chief in January 2018
Salary for JPD pension: $161,495
Original pension: $109,009
Current pension: same, $109,009

14. David Farmer, 30 years of service, retired January 1999
Salary for JPD pension: $75,821
Original pension: $56,866
Current pension: $100,335

15. William Fitzgerald, 31 years of service, retired January 2003
Salary for JPD pension: $107,246
Original pension: $80,435
Current pension: $125,314

16. Randall Fleck, 31 years of service, retired January 2007
Salary for JPD pension: $110,545
Original pension: $82,909
Current pension: $114,765

17. Richard Fonck, 30 years of service, retired July 2011
Salary for JPD pension: $132,194
Original pension: $99,146
Current pension: $133,444

18. Michael Garland, 30 years of service, retired January 2006
Salary for JPD pension: $95,031
Original pension: $71,273
Current pension: $100,895

19. Gerald Gear, 38 years of service, retired January 2006
Salary for JPD pension: $102,734
Original pension: $77,051
Current pension: $109,856

20. David Gerdes, 33 years of service, retired as chief of police July 2006
Salary for JPD pension: $142,821
Original pension: $107,116
Current pension: $152,721

21. Gregory Glomb, 30 years of service, retired March 2012
Salary for JPD pension: $133,262
Original pension: $99,947
Current pension:$119,341

22. Dennis Goron, 30 years of service, retired May 2010
Salary for JPD pension: $122,229
Original pension: $91,672
Current pension: $115,755

23. James Grace, 36 years of service, retired July 2002
Salary for JPD pension: $101,133
Original pension: $75,850
Current pension: $121,716

24. Edgar Gregory, 28 years of service, retired as a deputy chief in September 2018
Salary for JPD pension: $161,495
Original pension: $113,046
Current pension: Same, $113,046

25. Fred Hayes, 30 years of service, retired as a chief of police in August 2011
Salary for JPD pension: $152,081
Original pension: $114,061
Current pension: $139,609

26. George Hernandez, 38 years of service, retired March 2004
Salary for JPD pension: $94,394
Original pension: $70,796
Current pension: $107,084

27. Tab Jensen, 27 years of service, retired as a deputy chief in July 2018
Salary for JPD pension: $161,495
Original pension: $109,009
Current pension: same $109,009

28. Anthony Jerisha, 39 years of service, retired May 2009
Salary for JPD pension: $132,099
Original pension: $99,074
Current pension: $129,270

29. Patrick Kerr, 45 years of service, retired July 2009
Salary for JPD pension: $138,043
Original pension: $103,532
Current pension: $135,086

30. Leo Korczak, 33 years of service, retired March 2008
Salary for JPD pension: $104,676
Original pension: $78,507
Current pension: $105,507

31. Gerald Maier, 33 years of service, retired January 1998
Salary for JPD pension: $78,253
Original pension: $57,125
Current pension: $103,174

32. Robert Mau Sr., 34 years of service, retired May 2009,
Salary for JPD pension: $108,800
Original pension: $81,600
Current pension: $106,469

33. Jerry McDonald, 30 years, retired January 2009
Salary for JPD pension: $107,473
Original pension: $80,605
Current pension: $105,149

34. Fredrick Moore, 36 years, retired May 2004
Salary for JPD pension: $95,856
Original pension: $71,892
Current pension: $108,743

35. John Panizzo, 30 years of service, retired May 2011
Salary for JPD pension: $117,237
Original pension: $87,928
Current pension: $108,140

36. Robert Pedersen, 30 years of service, retired May 2004
Salary for JPD pension: $95,856
Original pension: $71,892
Current pension: $109,676

37. James Powers, 32 years of service, retired May 2009
Salary for JPD pension: $132,099
Original pension: $99,074
Current pension: $129,270

38. Rex Provenzale, 30 years of service, retired January 2006
Salary for JPD pension: $105,658
Original pension: $79,244
Current pension: $113,734

39. Thomas Quillman, 33 years of service, retired May 2009
Salary for JPD pension: $108,800
Original pension: $81,600
Current pension: $106,469

40. Edward Rachel, 32 years of service, retired April 2009
Salary for JPD pension: $110,127
Original pension: $82,595
Current pension: $107,768

41. Louis Silich, 34 years of service, retired May 2009
Salary for JPD pension: $120,588
Original pension: $90,442
Current pension: $118,005

42. David Starcevich, 30 years of service, retired July 2009
Salary for JPD pension: $119,126
Original pension: $89,345
Current pension: $116,817

43. Charles Stein, 30 years of service, retired July 2008,
Salary for JPD pension: $132,194
Original pension:$99,146
Current pension: $131,560

44. David Stoddard, 29 years of service, retired July 2009
Salary for JPD pension: $107,473
Original pension:$77,918
Current pension: $101,579

45. Michael Trafton, 28 years of service, retired as chief of police in August 2013
Salary for JPD pension: $152,081
Original pension: $106,457
Current pension: $121,360

46. Keith Turney, 30 years of service, retired March 2009*
Salary for JPD pension: $137,482
Original pension: $103,112
Current pension: $135,374
* Portion of pension goes to former spouse

47. Steven Jaeger, 37 years of service, retired July 2011*
Salary for JPD pension: $139,030
Original pension: $104,273
Current pension: $128,242
* Portion of pension goes to former spouse