Joliet Spent $1.1 M For Sick, Vacation Payouts On 16 Retirees

JOLIET, IL — Joliet taxpayers spent about $1.1 million on retirement payouts for 16 employees who left the city of Joliet 2021. A dozen of the retirees worked at the police department, three at the fire department, and one from the public works division.

In December, Joliet Patch submitted a Freedom of Information Act request seeking access to data on all city employees who received a retirement payout of at least $50,000 this year.

City officials responded by providing the names and payouts for 16 city of Joliet employees who retired in 2021. The average payout for the 16 retirees was $68,656, Joliet Patch determined.

The highest retirement payout, topping $120,000, went to former Police Chief Al Roechner, who negotiated a financial package with former city manager Jim Hock in January. Hock gave Roechner a raise of more than $31,000 as an incentive to submit his immediate notice to retire.

Roechner was intending to stay as chief until at least July so he could reach his maximum pension benefit, with 30 years of service on the Joliet Police Department, according to city officials.

As a result of the 19 percent salary increase given on his second-to-last day on the job, Roechner's payout for his unused vacation time, sick leave and comp time reached $121,114.

According to city payroll records, Roechner was paid $59,035 for his unused vacation time, $49,056 for his sick time accrual and another $13,023 for his comp time banks.

Roechner was not the only member of the Joliet police force to receive a six-figure payout for his excess sick, vacation and comp time accruals in 2021.

Police Officer Mike Fosen, who retired May 3, received a payout of about $104,695, Joliet Patch determined. Fosen was paid $54,511 for his excess of vacation time, $29,664 for his comp time banks and $20,520 for his sick bank payout.

Two other high-ranking members of Roechner's administration — who chose to retire rather than accept a demotion — also received significant payouts. Like Roechner, demoted deputy police chiefs Darrell Gavin and Marc Reid also negotiated huge pay raises for themselves, through the permission of newly appointed city manager Jim Capparelli. The nearly $18,000 salary raises for Gavin and Reid helped them spike their police pensions from the city of Joliet.

After two years in the deputy chief's position, Gavin left Joliet police on Jan. 18, receiving a payout of $66,109 for his unused vacation time and sick bank.

After learning in January he was being demoted to the rank of lieutenant and reassigned to the night shift, Reid obtained a doctor's note allowing him to stay home from work indefinitely.

Read More: "Demoted Deputy Chief Gets $18K Raise And Isn't Working."

After staying home for 10 weeks drawing down his sick leave banks, Reid retired April 4, one day after he turned 50 years old. Reid received a payout of about $68,770 — $29,200 for his unused vacation time and another $39,569 for the unused sick bank he still had left.

In addition to collecting his Joliet police retirement pension, Reid is now drawing a full-time police salary again, as a sergeant in Elwood.

Read More: "Joliet Police Pension Spiker Becomes Elwood Police Sergeant."

Here's a breakdown of the remaining 12 city of Joliet retirees who each received a severance payout topping $50,000 in 2021:

• $81,161 for Lisa Giovingo, police; retired April 20.
• $75,230 for Ken Simonich, police; retired Sept. 17.
• $67,426 for Eric Moyes, police; retired April 23.
• $65,444 for Tom Grutzius, police; retired May 28.
• $62,056 for Daniel Traina, fire; retired Sept. 7.
• $58,789 for Mark Vershay, fire; retired Nov. 16.
• $57,437 for John Merriman, fire; Sept. 15.
• $56,934 for Mike Batis, deputy police chief; retired Sept. 9.
• $55,297 for Scott Gapsevich, public works; retired June 24.
• $53,503 for David Mueller, police; retired Feb. 5.
• $53,345 for Joe Perona, police; retired June 16.
• $51,188 for Larry Collins, police; retired Jan. 23.