NECAS’s $10,000+ Christmas bonus lists paid with public funds –

Chrisman, IL. (ECWd) –

Congratulations Village of Metcalf taxpayers – the equivalent of all of your payments to NECAS during the past 5 years went towards paying Christmas bonuses!

Metcalf’s entire financial support (the 2015 payments were the same as the 2016 payments) to the Northern Edgar County Ambulance Service (“NECAS”), for the past five years, wasn’t enough to pay for the last 5 years of improper Christmas gifts.

Metcalf’s payments to NECAS since 2015 total $7,098.56 and Christmas bonuses paid out by NECAS total more than $10,000.

As we have previously noted, Christmas Bonuses for public employees, or bonuses of any kind, violate state law (Article VIII, Section 1 of the Constitution and the Wage Payment and Collection Act) when there are no written employment agreements spelling out such bonuses, along with measurable results required to obtain said bonuses.

According to the Illinois Administrative Code for the Wage Payment and Collection Act, “An employee has a right to an earned bonus when there is an unequivocal promise by the employer and the employee has performed the requirements set forth in the bonus agreement between the parties and for all of the required conditions for receiving the bonus set forth in the bonus agreement have been met.”

Without the written agreement, any bonuses are an impermissible gifting of public funds.

NECAS has paid Christmas bonuses each year since at least 2015, in which those bonuses total in excess of $10,000.00.

For 2019: here is the employee list and amounts of your hard-earned dollars this public body gave away without your permission:

• 5 employees received a $216.57 gift of public funds
• 2 employees received a $108.28 gift of public funds
• 3 employees received a $27.07 gift of public funds

The total 2019 financial cost for these bonuses, according to NECAS (see it here), was $1,486.23 (which includes NECAS’ portion of the SS payments).

Earlier years total cost to NECAS (click here):

• 2015 – $1,900 (estimated which includes employee portions of SS and MED)
• 2016 – $2,506
• 2017 – $2,273
• 2018 – $1,890 (estimated which includes employee portions of SS and MED)

We urge the NECAS to immediately stop this gifting of public funds and seek written guidance from their attorney as to whether or not to recover these gifts from employees.

Additionally, NECAS wants you to vote in the upcoming primary election on a non-binding referendum to form a Special Service Area so they can directly tax property owners for ambulance services.

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