By: Diane Benjamin
I have looked at numbers for many weeks and I’m not close to answers. I’m going to print what I know anyway.
From Open The Books:
Why did salaries increase substantially in 2020 and go down in 2021?
I FOIA’d these salaries from IMRF:
Three of the 6 show less income in 2021 than in 2020.
(Gleason, Tyus, and Albertson)
Next I FOIA’d the W-2’s. See those here, they don’t match anything:
Deferred compensation (amounts contributed before tax to retirement plans) can play a part, but the differences don’t match the amounts listed on the W-2’s.
I hope you like numbers!
From the Bloomington website:
2020 Compensation report: https://www.bloomingtonil.gov/home/showpublisheddocument/26843/637647918074200000
Gleason: $200,606.82 + $20,598.97 (Misc) = $221,205.79 – $6,600 car allowance = $214,605.79 (close)
Tyus: $162,327.65 + $1,529.39 (Misc) = $163,857.04
Albertson: $132,688.79 (Misc – shows $7,640.00 that wasn’t included)
The two in bold match
2021 Compensation report: https://www.bloomingtonil.gov/home/showpublisheddocument/27739/637843221421970000
Gleason: $198,966.44 (Misc shows $5,727.62)
Tyus: $162,874.95 (Misc shows -0-)
Albertson: $131,078.63 (Misc shows $5,000.00)
The 2021 salaries reported to IMRF are close, none match. “Misc” seems to sometimes matter, sometimes it doesn’t.
A few weeks ago I asked Bloomington’s communication person, Katherine Murphy, to explain the differences:
The explanation I received doesn’t apply since all salaries would be effected by 27 pay periods instead of 26. Gleason getting paid in 2020 for unused vacation time certainly spiked his pension as evidenced by the amount reported in IMRF.
Look at the 2020 Total Compensation report, the “Misc” column has some HUGE amounts. They are likely related to retirements.
I don’t see anyway to resolve salaries without getting a FOIA from IMRF for all reported salaries and then compare them to the Total Compensation report. No, I’m not going to do that. Feel free to do that if you have tons on time with nothing to do.
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So we pay a mayor, an assistant city manager, and other Directors of Departments sizable salaries. Is the City Manager saying that because he could not take vacations as easily in 2020 that we should pay out that vacation? If we have a situation where the city manager is receiving so much vacation that he can’t take it all, cut back the vacation.
If he is not taking the vacation, that also creates risk of a situation like Rita Crundwell in Dixon, IL. Having other eyes over the books is essentially to sound fraud prevention.
With little oversight over his role, Gleason can work as much or as little as he wants because if he wants a nice check, he can just ask for a vacation payout.
Mayor makes very little
Yes. Vacation is necessary to reduce chances or risk of fraud in any situation where a position has access or is responsible for funds. Forcing more then three consecutive days away and no contact is standard practice, after the Bernie Madoff incident, at many corporations for those in certain positions of fund management, cash, etc. Risk management should have policies in place.
Mayor deserves very little.
Can we FOIA tax returns like they did Trumpers? They may help determine some numbers. These numbers don’t add up.
No
“I have looked at numbers for many weeks and I’m not close to answers. I’m going to print what I know anyway.“
But what do you actually know? You got an answer.