District mum on approved goals for executive director

Ten months after hiring him and three months after extending his contract for three more years, Naperville Park District officials approved a "basic set" of goals for Executive Director Ray McGury.

Those goals were for only McGury and the board to know Thursday night as several commissioners, including President Mike Reilly, declined to make them immediately available to the media.

"What was approved was a pretty comprehensive list of leadership team goals that we developed and we're using that as the platform to use performance goals for the executive director," Reilly said. "There may be some things added to it at a future workshop but I don't see anything being taken away."

When asked for a copy of the goals, Reilly was unprepared to share.

"I don't have that list with me yet, but it will be added to the public record immediately," he said. "They were provided to all of the members and we had them in our packet. I just don't have mine with me."

Neither did several other officials, including McGury, who declined to talk specifically about them.

"They're basic district goals that spell out that I'm responsible for the day-to-day operations of all these aspects of the district," McGury said, promising his staff would e-mail the approved goals to the Daily Herald on Friday morning.

Commissioner Ron Ory, who has been pushing for the goals to be enacted for months, didn't have his copy either and wasn't surprised that his peers didn't.

"I e-mailed them out to everyone earlier today but maybe no one printed them out," he said of the approximately 100-item list. "We've been talking about them for months. There's nothing new there so maybe that's why no one has it with them."

First on the list, however, he said was for McGury to develop a long-term financial plan for the district "by the end of the year."

Not everyone was ready to approve the list of goals Thursday.

Commissioner Andrew Schaffner began the discussion by asking for more discussion before moving forward.

"I would encourage you, as the board president, to talk to the board members and make this a workshop agenda item in the next month or two," Schaffner said.

Commissioners Marie Todd and Suzanne Hart agreed, though only Todd and Hart voted against approving the goals.

"I absolutely agree," Hart said. "Right now, going ahead and voting on this, I'm not ready to."

Ory, who has long pushed for the board to meet its obligation and provide McGury with goals, said more could be added later.

"I think by approving these goals we're fulfilling the terms of the contract (which sets Feb. 15 2010 as the deadline to do so)," Ory said. "I would agree perhaps there are additional ones we can add as we entertain those at a workshop."

McGury's contract extension was made retroactive to March 1 and expires Dec. 31, 2011. McGury, who earns a $135,000 salary, will be eligible for 3 percent annual pay increases beginning in January 2010 based on his completion of the newly-approved performance goals. He can also earn a bonus at an amount and time to be determined by the board and the district will contribute $6,000 a year to his retirement plan.