More Stroger Shenanigans

By Marcus Gilmer in News on May 7, 2010 6:20PM

That lovable scamp Todd Stroger is at it again. Just a few days after reports surfaced of shenanigans including contracts with board approval and new furniture spending sprees, a new report says that Stroger gave his CFO a ridonkulous raise of $54,000 and did so without board approval. That's not a typo: 54 plus three zeros. For a raise. Hell, many of us don't make that in a YEAR and we're not the CFO of a county struggling to make ends meet. CFO Jaye Williams was the recipient of the pay raise, which boosted her salary from $176,000 to $230,000 (31 percent). This from the board president who's been huffing and puffing about the board's tax roll-back has no problem shelling out an extra $50K?

There were other raises, too, all given without board approval, including Stroger's director of communications, Eugene Mullins. An investigation will, of course, commence, especially as to whether or not the raises violated a pay-freeze for "so-called “Grade 24” Shakman-exempt jobs" put into place in December. Mullins told the Trib that commissioners have done the same and added, "The only thing that people seem to be interested in is that Todd did it." Mullins has something of a point - anyone who enacted a staff raise in violation of the recently passed ordinance should face punishment. But of course we're interested that Todd did it because Todd is the board president. He should be the overseer preventing such shenanigans, not participating in them and being the worst culprit. Just because the commissioners do it doesn't make it okay, Eugene. If Tony Peraica jumped off the Empire State Building, would Todd?

Our thoughts on the whole matter were best summed up by Commissioner Timothy Schneider (R-Streamwood) who said, "This situation is absurd." We'd also like to add "batshit stupid."