McCarthy Reverses Weis Vacation Pay Decree

By Chuck Sudo in News on Jul 13, 2011 6:43PM

Police Superintendent Garry McCarthy ensured that massive unused vacation day payouts like the $76,000 bonus paid out to predecessor Jody Weis won't happen again.

McCarthy reversed the policy change that gave Weis a nice cushion as he left the Department and Weis' chief of staff Mike Masters - the current Homeland Security Chief of Cook County - a vacation bonus of over $30,000.

Weis' June 2010 change allowed "command staff members" to carry up to 39 unused vacation days from year to year “when circumstances prohibited the use of current and prior year’s allotments.” Under McCarthy's reversal, those command staff members can only carry forward 25 vacation days from one year to the next, effective Aug. 31.

Weis, now deputy director of the Chicago Crime Commission, said that McCarthy “has to make decisions that are in the best interest of the department, the city and the residents.”