Algonquin Township – Miller’s sick pay becoming more troubling

McHenry Co. (ECWd) –

We have obtained a copy of the monthly bills for the Road District in April of 2017 and in that stack of bills is an unsigned letter addressed to Bob Miller, dated April 7, 2017.

Of interest in this letter is the fact it is neither signed nor on any letterhead.  The letter claims that the lump sum sick pay for Bob Miller has been suggested to be paid by the Auditor, Mr. Brown. In this letter, it claims he was entitled to the hourly rate he was receiving in 1993, even though the sick day time frame spanned from 1972-1993.

So are we to understand Miller was receiving the same hourly rate in 1972 as he was in 1993?

We understand sick time is to be accumulated at the rate for which the person was compensated at the time of earning it.  It appears to be highly questionable for the auditor to suggest that all the sick time should be calculated at the 1993 hourly rate instead of pro-rated according to the hourly rate each year it was collected.

Considering this letter is neither signed nor on any letterhead, we question the validity of the claimed suggestion of the Auditor, Mr. Brown.

This letter states that Miller is entitled to 253 days for unused sick time.  We have one question on this claim.  Who wrote this letter and where is a copy of the sick day policy in place between 1972 and 1993?

Also in this stack of papers we received is the legal invoice from Matuszewich & Kelly, LLP.  It appears there are 22.4 hours billed to the Township Road District on matters related to Miller’s sick time issue.   So after Miller takes this matter to the Township, the taxpayers get hit with no less than $3,360.00 in legal bills on the sick time issue, but it may be worth it.

In that billing is 3.0 hrs of billing for “Drafting Opinion”.

I would suggest that Opinion is made available to the public so we can once and for all understand how this unaccounted for sick time was justified.

Considering the attorney billing also points to discussions with the Township Auditor, we can only wonder how that discussion went considering the Auditor, Mr. Brown was adviced by the bookkeeper there were no accumulated unpaid absences for the Road District Office as of March 31, 2017. (See Bookkeeper letter to Auditor here.)

I would say it’s time for the State’s Attorney to look at Algonquin Township’s illegal activities much like the Feds did Al Capone.  Charge them with whatever you can prove and send the message, no matter how small or large. Looking back at Capone’s prosecution many laughed at the tax evasion charge but in reality, it was brilliant because it took a criminal off the street.  We suggest the same logic be applied to Alqonquin Township!

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