Manager's contract is irresponsible

Jon Sfondilis is the village manager for Wheeling (population, about 38,500). As reported by the Daily Herald, Wheeling's trustees awarded him a contract (in January 2010) worth $142,000 yearly. This amount includes a $136,000 salary and a $500 monthly ($6,000 per year) allowance for his vehicle use.

So far as I know, Mr. Sfondilis is precisely qualified for his job, and he may be an exemplary human being as well; I don't know the man. Still, no person requires a $136,000 salary. When the source of the salary is public money (i.e., taxes), there is a basis for indignation.

Considering the effeteness of municipal coffers nowadays, awarding this high-paying contract is irresponsible and even reckless.

Some within the village would be lifted to a satisfactory lifestyle with a job paying just $25,000 annually. There is genuine hardship taking place within the village due to a lack of such jobs. Meanwhile, one person alone is being paid by the village more than fivefold a $25,000 salary.

The trustees' decision to award a contract as valuable as Mr. Sfondilis's can only be seen as showing disregard for those living in Wheeling.

Ken Libowicz

Hoffman Estates