Oakbrook Terrace city manager resigns

Longtime Oakbrook Terrace City Manager Martin Bourke has resigned.

Bourke has been with the city since 2000 and submitted his letter of resignation late last month. He used remaining vacation days to finish his tenure with the city, officials said.

The city council accepted Bourke's resignation and approved an undisclosed severance package at its July 27 meeting.

City officials refused to release the details of the package or Bourke's letter of resignation. Aldermen who asked not to be identified said Bourke will receive six months pay, health insurance coverage for the same period and use of a city vehicle for three months.

Oakbrook Terrace Mayor Tony Ragucci said he was not surprised by Bourke's decision.

"We had talked about it a couple times," the mayor said.

Ragucci described his relationship with Bourke as "professional" during the 15 months the mayor has been in office. But Ragucci was critical of the council's decision to give future hiring power of the police chief and city treasurer to the city manager just before he took office in 2009.

Bourke came to Oakbrook Terrace following seven years as village manager in Western Springs. He worked in Winfield and Bloomingdale before that. He initially was hired by former Mayor Bill Kallas on a part-time basis, working just 25 hours a week at a rate of $45 an hour with no insurance benefits.

Kallas said he didn't seek re-election in 2001, but recommended the alderman keep Bourke.

"They took my advice to keep Marty," Kallas said by phone Friday. "But I think Marty might have stayed too long. I told him he should have moved on to a larger community. I wish him the best."

Council member Martha Bojan said the city was lucky to have Bourke as its top administrator.

"Marty was astounding," she said. "He helped guide our city out of a morass of incompetence. I don't know that everyone will recognize how lucky we were to have him as a city manager. I'm really sad for the city."

Attempts to reach Bourke were unsuccessful Friday.

Ragucci said Assistant City Manager Kathy Katz has been assigned Bourke's duties until a replacement is named. The mayor said he has no timetable in mind to find a replacement for Bourke.