Algonquin Township Road District Facing Deferred Sick Leave Payouts

In his next-to-last Algonquin Township meeting, long-time Road Commissioner Bob Miller brought forth a bill for $47,381.84 for sick pay accrued, but not paid for the years before he was elected to the top job.

Under the personnel rules promulgated by his father, Del Miller, hourly workers were eligible to cash in unused sick leave.

The number of hours of unused sick time is to be multiplied by their final hourly wage to determine the amount is will cost township taxpayers.

Miller accumulated 263 days of sick leave from 1972 through 1993, when he was appointed Road Commissioner to replace his father.

His final hourly wage was $188 a day.

Bob Miller changed that rule two years after he took office, but five current employees have a claim on Road District resources.

Since 1995, employees have had to take their sick days or lose them.

The money can be taken in cash or rolled into Illinois Municipal Retirement Fund credits.

Miller, having maxed out IMRF pension years decided to take cash.

The cost to the township is being minimized by his taking a lump sum payout.

The other long-time road workers eligible for payments are

  • Doug Helman
  • Daniel Newman
  • Tim Shepherd
  • Randy Voss

All but Voss, who also has over 40 years in the IMRF, will take the money owed to increase their pension credits.

Algonquin Township Board

The payment was flagged by Township Trustee Larry Emery.

Township Attorney James Kelly reported that not making the payment(s) would subject Algonquin Township to legal action under Illinois law.

Under the personnel policy adopted by Bob Miller, employees are “at will employees.”

Sick leave is not part of a contract as it was under Del Miller.

The liability for the five employees is not reflected in the Road District audit.

In other business, Supervisor Dianne Klemm reported receiving a check for $12,788 from the risk management pool which insures the Road District.

Miller explained that it is 15% of the premium paid five years ago.

Klemm also reported that AARP volunteers had prepared income tax forms for 750 seniors.

Trustee Dan Shea explained that the Fox Waterway Agency was not holding a river cleanup this year, because only three garbage bags had been gathered last year.

Emery read off his goal for township government transparency and commented on which had and which had not been accomplished.

He also reported that for the last four years the township had either had a flat or a reduced levy and that expenditures had fallen each year.

“Take full credit for that,” Miller told Emery.

“Your harassment is responsible for it.”

Miller pointed out his last day would be May 12th.

“We’ll be watching,” he said.

Assessor Bob Kunz reported that his Chief Deputy, Maggi Lane, had taken a job in the private sector, obtaining a 35% hike in salary.


Comments

Algonquin Township Road District Facing Deferred Sick Leave Payouts — 34 Comments

  1. Bob Miller has done more than Bob Anderson can ever do to support the abolition of Townships.

    That is unfortunate because there are aspects of Township government which cannot be duplicated for the same or less cost to the taxpayer.

  2. Elected officials ARE NOT entitled to sick pay.

    They get paid whether they work or not by law.

    What was the mechanism they township used to monitor sick days, a slate and chisel.

    If they pay the request, they are complicit!

  3. Read and comprehend the article.

    He was an employee at the time it was allowed as were the other people mentioned.

    He changed the rule.

  4. Villge of Cary had the same type of rules for sick days years ago, unused sick time pay at 100% when you retire.
    Sick time was awarded as follows:
    1-2 years of service, 5 days and 5 half days
    3-8 years of service, 10 days and 10 half days
    9-15 years of service, 15 days and 15 half days.
    15- years of service, 20 days and 20 half days.
    After the 1980 census Cary had to take IMRF so sick time could be then also used towards pension time.
    That changed when the Police and Public Works unionized.
    Now it’s one sick day a month, at the end of the year up to 12 days can be turned in at 1/4 the pay.
    At the time of the change the Village bought off the long serving employees, a record of that must still exist.
    Del Miller’s policy was not as generous.

  5. How can Tim Shepard be eligible?

    He retired from Algonquin Township Road District several years ago and is collecting an IMRF pension.

    Is this a final act of paying his family and friends plan?

    Good Riddance, maybe we’ll get lucky and the Miller’s will move to Anna native country of Canada.

    I don’t it though, they will remain here and be a thorn in the new regime rear!

  6. Did Lutzow vote for it?

    If so he’s a filthy rat, too!

    If not, I applaud him.

  7. Township Clerks don’t vote, he hasn’t been seated in his new gig yet.

  8. So I heard that Andrew(I just ate Garth Brooks) Gasser got an opinion from the SA that he can be the Algonquin Township Hwy Commish and keep his seat on County Board.

    How do you kool aid drinkers feel about that?

    Double dipping ok now?

  9. Mr. Miller receiving his sick day pay-out is not a healthy “today’ situation.

    The fact is, however, under old rules he has “earned it”.

    Very similar to Cal getting 75,000 a year pension.

    Cal gets 75,000 for very little service compared to today’s workers in the public sector.

    Oh yea. Cal’s a tax fighter. 🙂

  10. All depends on what he does with the county board salary (which is piddly by the way).

    As it is he doesn’t take the healthcare or pension so he is cheaper to keep in that seat than someone else!

  11. My bust, I hadn’t had my first cup of coffee when I commented on Elected Officials not being eligible for sick pay.

    Now that I am refreshed I ask why wasn’t he paid out when his status changed in 1993?

    Clearly the township needs to change their policy to protect taxpayers.

    Customarily you can accrue unlimited sick time to help you if there was a catastrophic event while employed, but the cash value should never exceed 30 day pay-out.

    That is prudent fiscal stewardship.

    Then again Republicans in McHenry only have rhetoric and very little action for less taxation.

  12. “Then again Republicans in McHenry only have rhetoric and very little action for less taxation”

    Isn’t that the truth!

  13. My concern is not that Bob Miller is paid for earned sick days, as he is certainly entitled to all that he has earned in his long career up until 1993.

    My concern is that the payout was approved with no documentation of sick days accumulated, other than a brief note in his personnel file from then Supervisor dated 1997(?).

    Bob Miller ceased his employment in 1993 when he became Commissioner.

    He stated he “changed the policy” in 1995, so it could not happen again.

    Also, no audit reports for at least the past several years have accounted for these liabilities, and if I heard him correctly, Mr. Miller himself stated that there were likely no remaining records of the hours worked corroborating his bill for 263 sick days at $188 per day, totalling $47,381.84.

    My two cents: especially with such a large claim, some corroborating records should be included as standard procedure.

    This is not to mean I dispute the amount, but they should have asked for more than a brief IOU note in a personnel file to verify accuracy.

    Same with any other former employees’ claims to earned benefits

    One would assume that, if hypothetical legal action were to be taken against the township, those missing records must be provided in any meritorious claim, but I’m no lawyer.

  14. The rule was changed when Bob became highway commissioner, this is old hours from long time employees from before the rules were changed.

    Why so hard to comprehend what is in the story?

    But it’s totally ok for Gasser to have 2 elected positions? Don’t tun out of kool-aid followers!

  15. What is your problem, Mrs.? I don’t care if someone has six elected positions. If they do the job, that’s all that matters. If no one else steps up, sometimes we get the same people willing to put themselves out there. Gasser isn’t taking any pensions or perks. Why are you so adamant that this isn’t cricket? You don’t seem to understand much about what is happening around you.

  16. Oh I understand very well.

    If you’re supported by Cindy and the misfits you can double or triple dip the elected positions/ taxpayer salaries.

    So no insurance or pension when he gets in the Township?

    We’ll see.

    Get yourself some koolaid Cindy

  17. I don’t think you understand double-dip. I wouldn’t eat any chips with dip at the Mrs. house.

  18. to the Mrs:

    Who says Gasser is even taking a salary for County Board?

    are you jumping to conclusions?

    Also,
    a one liner from a past, Township official, certainly doesn’t seem sufficient to pay out $47.000 of taxpayer money.

    Payroll records should not be destroyed.

    How can the township attorney recommend, almost insist, on payment to Miller, based on one sentence from a past Township Supervisor???

  19. Gasbag Gasser is not qualified and he will be a triple dipper. Gasbag Gasser already has a states attorney opinion saying he can stay on the board. Gasbag Gasser has you all fooled and he thinks he is the king of McHenry County.

    Gasbag Gaser will get his military pension. Gasbag Gasser will get his county board salary. Gasbag Gasser will get his highway commissioner salary.

    Triple dipper – Gasbag Gasser.

  20. Mrs.:

    Mr. Miller’s status changed when his employment status changed in 1993.

    The personnel policy itself was Not changed until 1995 by Mr. Miller.

    Sorry if I was unclear.

  21. Dirty Gasser &Cindy……do you want some cheese with that wine!!!!!

    LOL!!!

    Miller time no more!!!!

    Can’t wait to hear what the township books really look like.

  22. Look into what the office manger for 35+ has been getting away with for her self dig deep

  23. By law Andrew will pay into the pension fund as will the Twh pay their part.
    If he stays in office 3 terms he will qualify for a pension.
    2 terms he will get his payments back but the Twh part stays in the pension fund.
    Military pension and health care.
    County board wages if he stays on.
    Twh Road Commissioner wages.
    Hopefully he has a patronage dude to hire as help, because he knows squat about road maintenance.

  24. States Attorney said Anna had no conflict of interest, but Andrew and others sure did.
    Can you say disingenuous my pal Cindy?

  25. Wrong Tam, still living in the past for political gain aren’t ya.
    Maybe reread Andrew’s FOI, this time without the Harry Reid glasses.
    Perhaps a little reseach on your part before throwing ignorant rocks.

  26. I get so motivated from some of the sea lawyers on this blog.

    It’s like they think they know what I am going to do – but they don’t – yet they say it anyways.

    We have the best people in place.

    So much expertise, so much knowledge, so much wisdom.

    We just have to empower them and get out of their way… and we shall.

  27. Good luck Andrew!
    Time to move forward and not dwell on the past.

  28. I didn’t mean that in a good way, You’re in way over your head now.
    any chance you have Bob on speed dial?

    that might be a start.

    Andrew, You aren’t Half the Man Bob Is!

    When you quit living in your mothers Basement Let me know..

    How old are you?

  29. I can not imagine any system that could allow a pay out for unused PTO for someone who’s employment ended 24 years ago.

    That’s just crazy.

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