Joliet's Mackley Due $104,155 For Unused Sick, Vacation Nest Egg

JOLIET, IL - At a time when the City of Joliet says it is trying to hold the line on public spending, the city finds itself bracing to make a six-figure payout to one of their own, long-time Joliet employee Dave Mackley. In recent days, Joliet's City Council learned that Mackley, who makes about $118,000 annually, will retire at the end of March. In addition to getting his municipal government pension, Mackley has notified Joliet that he intends to cash out his unused bank of vacation time as well as his city of Joliet accrued sick days. His nest egg stands to cost Joliet's taxpayers $104,155, according to a Joliet City Council memo.

And that's not all.

The $104,155 city payout to Mackley also stands to increase his public pension by approximately $1,319 per month, according to the same city memo. Annually, that's more than $15,800. City officials told Joliet Patch that the city's director of inspections has worked for Joliet's City Hall nearly 33 years. Mackley has served as director of building and inspectional services division since April 2003.

Over the years, Mackley stockpiled his unused sick and vacation days, as his city of Joliet fringe benefits package had allowed him, as well as numerous other city of Joliet employees to do. These days, however, there is a key difference, and that's the issue of public transparency. (For more information on this and other Joliet Patch news stories, subscribe to Patch to receive free daily newsletters and free breaking news alerts.)

In years past, Joliet and other communities across Illinois might find a way to keep such a staggering payout for a city government official's unused sick and vacation banks off the public's radar to avoid scrutiny or backlash. However, a government transparency law adopted last year by the Illinois legislature and signed by Governor Bruce Rauner, "requires municipal bodies to disclose certain payments made to employees which will have an impact on their Illinois Municipal Retirement Fund pension."

As a result, interim Joliet city manager Marty Shanahan notified his council last week that he was placing the Mackley payout on the Tuesday, October 17, regular meeting agenda as required by the new state law. The item was on Joliet's consent agenda under the subject title, "Disclosable Payment - IMRF Retirement."

To be fair to Mackley, he merely followed the employment fringe benefit guidelines that Joliet had on its books during his roughly 33 years of city employment. But, by the same token, Joliet's generous employee benefits perks may have also factored into Mackley's decision to become a career city employee. Joliet's city ordinances and policies "allow for employees to be paid out for their earned and unused sick, vacation and comp time," Shanahan's October 11 memo to the council pointed out.

"As these retirements occur, these amounts will be provided to the Council," Shanahan stated.

This week, Shanahan clarified to Joliet Patch that Mackley will not be getting his $104,155 payment in one lump-sum. Rather, the payments will be made over the next six months. After all, Mackley's retirement won't become official until April 1, 2018.

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