Kane County looks to eliminate cronies from Metra

If you like trains and government service, Kane County might have a job for you. If you’d like a government salary and benefits to go with that job, don’t bother applying.

Kane County is accepting applications from anyone interested in being appointed to the Metra board of directors. That job currently comes with a $15,000 salary, a government pension and health care benefits. But allegations of cronyism and financial misconduct during the current board’s watch sparked Kane County Board Chairman Karen McConnaughay to call for the resignation of the current Metra board, starting with her own appointee, Caryl Van Overmeiren. Van Overmeiren is a former Kane County Board member and has refused to resign. Her current term expires in March 2012.

McConnaughay has formed a task force to explore a replacement for Van Overmeiren, whom she still hopes resigns long before March 2012. The five-member task force of county board members and McConnaughay met for the first time Tuesday. McConnaughay told the task force its job is to establish both the application process and criteria suitable for the position.

“The accusation has been that these appointments have gone to political cronies,” McConnaughay said. “I just decided instead of me doing it on my own, let’s make this as open and transparent a process as we can.”

Though task force members were reluctant to make it a formal part of the initial application process, just about all of them said any successful applicant would have to prove they want the job for more than just the perks with which it comes. Task force members suggested they will ask candidates directly in the interview phase if they are willing to swear off at least the pension that comes with the appointment if not the salary and health care benefits as well.

“Compensation, health care and benefits should not be a consideration,” task force member Mike Donahue said. “If you have a candidate, and that person says part of the reason they want the position is for the compensation or for the health care, that, to me, is the culture that we need to change. It should not be something the person relies upon or needs. The job itself is so important that it should be 99 percent of the a person’s reason for wanting the position.”

The task force also said all candidates must be able to show a background relevant to being on the Metra board either in terms of education, work experience or expertise.

The task force will meet again June 16 when it expects to whittle the field of candidates down to finalists. Most, if not all, of the interview process will occur behind closed doors in order to protect the reputations of all candidates. It’s not clear if a list of the candidates who apply will be made public.