Algonquin Township – Up jumped the devil…in the details –

McHenry Co. (ECWd) –

Former Highway Commissioner Bob Miller claimed a now-deceased man signed a letter in 1997 that reports an audit was done pertaining to Bob Millers sick time.  Mysteriously, two copies of the letter reflect slight differences while still representing the same information.  We covered that in this article.  The letter claims an audit was done of Miller’s past employment.  We are awaiting a copy of the claimed audit.  It also claims accumulated sick days are restricted to 240 days according to IMRF and those accumulated days can be applied towards service credit upon retirement.  We are awaiting IMRF information to see if such credit was applied towards any retirement claim.  Note the letter said nothing about cashing those claimed days out 20 years later.

Then came the bookkeeper’s letter to the Auditor that reported there were no accumulated absences for the road district that we exposed in this article.

And just about when you think you have seen it all, up jumps the devil in the details.

According to the minutes from the meeting in question where Miller milked the township for a parting gift, they state; “Hwy Commissioner Miller explained how the sick pay policy worked and that the issue was fully researched by the Township Attorney.”

We would love to know how Miller explained the sick pay policy when there was no sick pay policy.  The only policy the Township has been able to produce was Miller’s policy from June 2012 and we challenge anyone to find anything in it about sick days, accumulated or otherwise.

The policy manual does not contain any language that permits the accumulation of sick days. In fact, the only reference to the accumulation of days is under the Vacation heading and it says; “Vacation time may not be accumulated.”

As an example of how out of touch this policy is, may we ask how you have a policy that says vacation time may not be accumulated and then two points lower it says; “All accumulated leave credit will be voided at the end of each fiscal year.”

So Mr. Miller, how does one void accumulated leave when the policy forbids the accumulation of that leave?

In reality, who cares about the vacation time policy because the point is there is nothing in the policy about sick days. Once again we wonder what “fully researched” means as it relates to the attorney who supported this payout.

Considering the statement pertaining to accumulated leave credit does not state that it is for vacation time, even though it’s under that heading, let’s assume it applies to sick days as well.  If it did, there would be no accumulation past each fiscal year, thus no way for Miller to accumulate the days he claimed from 24 years ago.

It gets better.

There is a section in the policy titled; “OTHER LEAVES OF ABSENCE”  

I would contend sick days could fall under that category.  So what does that mean if applied to this situation?

“All other leaves of absence, for whatever reason, are solely at the discretion of the Highway
Commissioner. These absences will be unpaid.”

In addition, a point of interest unrelated to sick days is found on page 16 of this PDF, or page number 12 shown at the bottom of each page of the policy, it outlines employees are basically not allowed to text and drive in accordance with Illinois law.  Now while most agree we can never legislate stupidity from the ranks as is evident by all the texting and driving we all witness, we do find it very curious as to why a June 2012 policy makes reference to a law that was not passed and put in place until January of 2014?

Is this an indicator the policy had been updated without changing the date?  

If so, still no reference to sick days or the accumulation of them Mr. Miller, and this is your policy!

Road District policy

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