JOLIET, IL — During a year when Joliet fears it may run out of money amid the coronavirus economic slowdown, the city continues to pay out tens of thousands of dollars to retiring city employees for cashing out large nest eggs of unused vacation days, sick banks and comp time, a Joliet Patch analysis found.
Patch's recent Freedom of Information Act request revealed that at least 10 of the 15 city employees who retired between January and April 24 got a retirement severance of between $46,000 and $129,000. The city payout comes in addition to the lifetime city pension they collect.
Police Capt. Rich Demick received the highest retirement payout so far this year at $129,100, one of the highest in the city's history.
According to city records, Demick accumulated 691 hours in comp time, which became a $53,560 payout when he retired Jan. 24. His 405-hour sick-bank payout was another $31,360. And Demick's 570 unused vacation hours got him another $44,180.
Demick's final salary used to calculate his retirement payouts was $163,244, the city said.
Demick was the only member of the Joliet Police Department's Supervisors Association who received a retirement payout for having more than 280 hours of vacation time so far in 2020.
According to the Joliet Police Department Supervisors Association new three-year contract, the management union is prohibited from accruing more than seven weeks of unused vacation — 280 hours unless the employee had written authorization from the chief.
Over the years, a number of retiring Joliet officers were paid for excess vacation hours they were never legally entitled to get under the terms of their collective bargaining contract, city officials told Patch last week.
However, Demick had proper documentation showing that a past police chief authorized him years ago to accrue more than 280 hours of vacation, according to the city.
Police supervisors with more than 20 years of service to the city accrue about 160 hours of vacation time every year.
This year, interim City Manager Steve Jones has been strictly enforcing the 280-hour vacation bank caps for the Joliet Police Department Supervisors Association. As a result, several retiring sergeants and lieutenants may get less than they anticipated, notably Sgt. Lindsey Heavener.
In March 2019, just nine months before his anticipated retirement, Heavener had the second highest unused vacation bank within the Joliet Police Supervisors Association, with about 990 accumulated vacation hours, which is roughly 25 weeks.
However, when Heavener retired less than four months ago, city records show, he only got paid for 280 hours of unused vacation time, which was worth $18,029. Heavener's 271 hours of comp time drew a payout of $17,434. His sick leave bank of 384 hours was worth $24,758.
Had Joliet paid Heavener for having 990 unused vacation hours on the books, his total vacation buyout would have cost the city about $64,745 and his total buyout would have been around $106,940. Instead, Heavener's total retirement severance on Jan. 30 was $60,221, city records show.
Heavener's final salary with the city was $136,025.
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Here's a summary of Joliet's other top retirement payouts between January and April 24:
Phil Stice, Joliet Police Supervisor, retired Jan. 30, final salary $136,025
Comp time: 560 hours, $36,050
Vacation bank: 280 hours, $18,029
Sick bank: 405 hours, $26,065
Total payout: $80,144
Kevin LaBolle, Joliet Police Supervisor, retired April 17, final salary $148,989
Comp time: 451 hours, $31,872
Vacation bank: 280 hours, $19,774
Sick bank: 385 hours, $27,168
Total payout: $78,814
Scott Nicodemus, Joliet Police Supervisor, retired April 14, final salary $136,035
Comp time: 482 hours, $31,006
Vacation bank: 280 hours, $18,029
Sick bank: 367 hours, $23,618
Total payout: $72,653
Ken Mihelich, finance department City Hall, retired March 31, final salary $151,304
Comp time: Not eligible
Vacation bank: 420 hours, $30,551
Sick bank: 506 hours, $36,804
Total payout: $67,355
Robert Hall, Joliet Police Supervisor, retired April 15, final salary $136,025
Comp time: 434 hours, $27,952
Vacation bank: 153 hours, $9,861
Sick bank: 375 hours, $24,114
Total payout: $61,927
Rodney Leggero, Joliet Fire Department captain, retired Feb. 15, final salary $139,841
Comp time: not eligible
Vacation bank: 336 hours, $22,589
Sick bank: 568 hours, $38,187
Total payout: $60,776
Bob Wohlrab, Joliet Fire Department captain, retired Feb. 11, final salary $139,841
Comp time: not eligible
Vacation bank: 312 hours, $20,976
Sick bank:568 hours, $38,187
Total payout: $59,163
Robert Dilorenzo, Joliet Fire Department battalion chief, retired Jan. 17, final salary $156,962
Comp time: not eligible
Vacation bank: 224 hours, $16,572
Sick bank: 405 hours, $29,948
Total payout: $46,520
This article originally appeared on the Joliet Patch
