Joliet Pays $578K To 14 Retiring Employees For Sick, Vacation, Comp Time

JOLIET, IL - The city of Joliet's $104,155 payment to veteran City Hall department head Dave Mackley for his nest egg of unused vacation and sick days appears to be the highest payout on record for a Joliet city official since a new statewide transparency law took effect a year ago, a Joliet Patch analysis found. In preparation for Tuesday's Joliet City Council meeting, thanks to the new statewide transparency law, city managers were obligated to put Mackley's six-figure payout on the regular meeting agenda. It was part of the consent agenda.

This week, Joliet Patch determined that Mackley isn't the only outgoing city of Joliet employee who is both the recipient of a municipal government pension as well as a sizeable taxpayer-funded payout for stockpiling unused sick days, banking several weeks of vacation days over the years and, in several cases, having significant compensatory time banks.

Since the new state of Illinois transparency law took effect around August 2016, a Joliet Patch analysis identified a total of 14 city of Joliet employees who are receiving sizeable payouts for their unused sick banks, vacation days and compensatory time. These payments, as you will see below, also help boost their public retirement pensions from the city of Joliet. (For more information on this and other Joliet Patch news stories, subscribe to Patch to receive free daily newsletters and free breaking news alerts.)

RELATED: Joliet's Dave Mackley Due $104,155 For Unused Sick, Vacation Banks

At Joliet Patch, utilizing the Joliet City Council meeting agendas, we compiled a breakdown of Joliet employees who are benefitting from the city's generous fringe benefit program, starting with Mackley:

1. DAVE MACKLEY

Retirement: March 31, 2018 with a pension from city of Joliet.

2016 Gross pay: Mackley made about $118,000 as building services director.

Payout: $104,155 for accrued sick and unused vacation pay.

Impact on Mackley's pension: an extra $1,319 per month, or $15,828 annually.

2. LARRY KANE

Retirement: August 31, 2017 with a pension from the city of Joliet.

2016 Gross pay: Kane made about $86,000 as an evidence fingerprint technician.

Payout: $71,597 for accrued sick, compensatory time and vacation bank.

Impact on Kane's pension: an extra $828 per month, or $9,936 annually.

3. TIMOTHY KELLY

Retirement: September 15, 2017 with a pension from city of Joliet.

2016 Gross pay: Kelly made about $136,000 as a maintenance foreman, sewer field crew.

Payout: $60,572 for accrued sick, compensatory time and unused vacation banks.

Impact on Kelly's pension: $869 per month or $10,428 annually.

4. BON MUI

Retirement: October 20, 2017 with a pension from city of Joliet.

2016 Gross pay: Made about $118,000 as utility administrator.

Payout: $50,218 for accrued sick, compensatory time and unused vacation banks.

Impact on Mui's pension: an extra $223 per month, or $2,676 annually

5. ANN EGAN

Retires November 30, 2017 with a pension from the city of Joliet.

2016 Gross pay: Made about $95,000 in customer service as a meter reader.

Payout: $38,181 for accrued sick, compensatory time and unused vacation bank.

Impact on her public pension: an extra $450 per month, or $5,400 annually.

6. MIKE RAMSAK

Retirement: September 29, 2017 with a pension from the city of Joliet.

2016 Gross pay: Made about $118,475 as an equipment operator in roadways.

Payout: $36,561 for accrued sick, compensatory time and unused vacation banks.

Impact on Ramsak's pension: an extra $275 per month, or $3,300 annually.

7. KATHRYN SHELTON

Retires December 18, 2017 with a pension from the city of Joliet.

2016 Gross pay: almost $91,000 in customer service as a meter reader.

Payout: $35,302 accrued sick, compensatory time and unused vacation bank.

Impact on Shelton's pension: an extra $287 per month, or $3,444 annually.

8. PAUL HARDER

Retires December 4, 2017 with a pension from the city of Joliet.

2016 Gross pay: Made almost $107,000 as a wastewater plant operator.

Payout: $34,953 for accrued sick, comp time and vacation pay.

Impact on Harder's pension: $135 per month, or $1,620 annually.

9. SUSAN RANDICH

Retirement: June 30, 2017 with a pension from the city of Joliet.

2016 Gross pay: Made almost $58,000 as Mayor's Office secretary.

Payout: $31,686 for accrued sick, comp time and vacation pay.

Impact on Randich's pension: $269 per month, or $3,228 annually.

10. KIRK LINDQUIST

Retirement: September 22, 2017 with a pension from the city of Joliet.

2016 Gross pay: Made almost $114,000 as a sewer field crew equipment operator.

Payout: $31,206 for accrued sick, comp time and vacation pay.

Impact on Lindquist's pension: $248 per month, or $2,976 annually.

11. RICHARD BOYD

Retirement: July 28, 2017 with a pension from city of Joliet.

2016 Gross pay: Made almost $90,000 as fleet services technician.

Payout: $28,564 for accrued sick, comp time and vacation pay.

Impact on Boyd's pension: $185 per month, or $2,200 annually

12. JANET KETZ

Retirement: July 28, 2017 with a pension from city of Joliet.

2016 Gross pay: Made $99,000 as fleet services administration secretary.

Payout: $24,458 for accrued sick, comp time and vacation pay.

Impact on Ketz's pension: $251 monthly or $3,012 annually.

13. JOSEPH MUTZ

Retirement: July 28, 2017 with a pension from city of Joliet.

2016 Gross Pay: Made $107,000 in roadways as equipment operator.

Payout: $16,135 for accrued sick, comp time and vacation pay.

Impact on Mutz's pension: $137 per month or $1,644 annually.

14. JANICE ALBERICO

Retirement: January 26, 2017 with a pension from city of Joliet.

2016 Gross Pay: Almost $77,000 as legal secretary.

Payout: $14,853 for her accrued sick and vacation banks.

Impact on Alberico's pension: $140 per month, or $1,680 annually.

Source on Disclosable Payments: Joliet City Council meeting agendas 2016, 2017

Image via Joliet Patch Editor John Ferak