Cal Skinner has been publishing salaries and total compensation of County employees on McHenry County Blog.
May I direct your attention there (if you have a strong stomach)?
I don't have an answer yet as to what the difference is between "Budgeted Salary" and "Total".
From the specific category of "Budgeted Salary" I would venture a guess that that is the specific salary of the employee. That's what goes in the budget. Kind of a no-brainer; right?
Cal's introduction to each segment of published compensation reads, "Every year state law requires the posting of salaries and fringe benefits exceeding $75,000 for those employees under the Illinois Municipal Retirement Fund. McHenry County has done more than that. It has posted the compensation of all employees."
So, what is "Total"? Is Total the sum of Budgeted Salary plus fringe benefits? That's what I thought - initially.
Then employees began contacting me and telling me that Total was the sum of the basic salary plus overtime.
Does that mean that the cost of fringe benefits is not shown? Many fringe benefits, while part of total compensation costs to an employer, are not taxable to the employee. Some fringe benefits are taxable, such as excessive use of take-home squad cars and personal use of electronic devices (PDRs, cell phones).
Several county employees have contacted me with questions that they obviously cannot raise within their own departments.
And employees are asking me how certain employees, known to have desk jobs, can receive so much overtime. Even some of those desk employees who don't appear to be putting in a full day at the office.
Now, just thinking about the McHenry County Sheriff's Department, which is my favorite County unit to pick on, does it have its own internal auditor for the 400 employees? Someone who counts noses at the beginning of the day and at the end of the day? Anybody who wonders why so-and-so always comes in late, takes long lunches, leaves early, and still earns a lot of overtime? Sure seems like you ought to have to work your full assigned week of work, before you get to dip into the overtime pot.
Does the County Auditor ever get nosy? Ever about excessive vehicle use by an elected official? Not just a few extra miles... like maybe 1,300 extra miles during a Christmas holiday period? Did that official get taxed for personal use? 1,300 x $.50 = $650 additional taxable income for driving those 1,300 miles.
Not to mention the County Vehicle Policy that prohibits such use...
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I think you should ask Cal what those two columns are. I've seen the names of a couple people on the lists that I know socially whom you couldn't GIVE overtime to at twice their salary. My interperation was that it was pay, then pay plus benefits (insurance, uniforms if required, etc.)Insurance alone would make up for most of the difference in the two lists. Don't jump to conclusions yet.........
The more I actually LOOK at these lists, it's clear that they do NOT represent salary vs overtime salary. On today's list there are two custodians,not janitors or maintaince workers, who have EXACTLY the same base salary and EXACTLY the same bebefit salary amounts- Lennon and Lenzen. Doing the math, they would have had exactly 658 hours of overtime per year-to what, empty garbage cans and sweep the floor? Gus, your informants are abviously misinformed about this being overtime.
Don't know about the janitors but the Correctional Officer salaries reflect base hourly pay * 2024 hours. The other number reflects pay with overtime added. Bear in mind, this may reflect holiday pay for an officer working a 5 on 2 off, 5 on 3 off schedule as they technically work all holidays. The max amount for this would be just over $4000 per year.
The problem is not with those CO's who work overtime to make up the numbers or who are ordered to work over.
The issue is with those who work Mon - Fri with little or no overtime in their position and no holiday pay.
Now, some such as court officers, classification, laundry officers do work overtime.
But there are others on this list who do not work in the jail and have over $20,000 in overtime.
Time for an independent audit as theft is theft is theft...
I disagree again. How can you possibily pick and choose who, on THESE lists, is getting overtime and who is not. A 40 hr work week, times 52 weeks, is 2080 hrs, not 2024. I can't believe that the County would spend the time to list a base salary, and then only post the base plus overtime, since each person will have a different amount of overtime each year. I fully believe that the list shows base pay, and the other shows base pay and benefits combined. And if, like you say, corrections officers are being forced to work overtime to cover shift shortages, for whatever reason (another's illness, vacations, or just not enough employees), someone higher up in the pecking order isn't doing their job of scheduling very well.
Yes, you're right, the overtime at the Correctional facility is out of control.
The budget for overtime is always exceeded by mid year. The County Board is very aware but refuses to do anything. I don't blame the officers for taking almost $100,000 in gross pay, who wouldn't just take the money?
The other issue is that there are officers assigned to positions not in the jail, no overtime and no holiday and making $20,000 plus in overtime pay.
I can assure you those numbers are not pay and benefits for the Correctional Officers. It is gross pay only.
An independent group of unpaid civilian "auditors" should take a look. But, like all politicians, nobody in McHenry County Government wants the truth to come out.
I think the taxpayers would be truly sickened if they saw what is really going on... just the list of county employess with "take home" cars with free gas, insurance etc... would make you sick!
Oh, I forgot, the Correctional officers on the schedule I mentioned work 2040 in a year. This is slightly off as the regular officers work 8 1/2 shifts so as to facilitate 5 on, 2 off, 5 on 3 off per their contract.
Here's a flash. The schedule of 5/2- 5/3 time 8.5 hours is actually is 2065.5 hours and the county eats the other 14.5 hours to make THEIR book keeping easier.
Everyone gets paid the holiday time. Some take pay, some take Comp time. Here is a difference. It does not matter if you are scheduled to work or not, EVERYONE on the 5/2-5/3 gets the holiday pay of eight hours. IT is not OT.
Monday thru Fri people get the day off with pay.
Some people are at the start of the pay matrix, some are topped out at the last step so make much more hourly than the newbie.
When people take off COMP time, someone else must be hired back at OT rate of time plus half to fill their spot. Same with vacation days, sick days etc. SOme people work all OT they can get and some would rather be off.
Yes, I agree, most of us know there is lots of overtime. You are paid to make up the shift numbers whether you are needed or not. Many senior officers are paid the $55 or so an hour to do nothing, we all know that.
How do you explain officers not assigned to the jail, say the two officers lounging around in training getting over $20,000 in OT? One of them has CERT training yes, but that much?
Look at the Mon - Fri officers and supervisors and you tell me if there is something odd going on with some of them.
I see Gus' explanation above. That would explain the $20,000 plus that someone with no overtime would have.
So, I was wrong on that point which was really my big concern.
However, my friends that made $100,000 at the jail this year thank the taxpayers.
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