Metra should take a cue from tollway

It's been three months since former Metra Executive Director Phil Pagano killed himself while being investigated for a variety of financial wrongs. But the taint of the financial scandal still lingers and will for some time.

That's why we agree with those who say Metra needs an independent inspector general to keep an eye on the transit agency going forward.

The Metra board has done many things right since the scandal became known. It hired a firm as a temporary inspector general to review management policies such as overtime and vacation-time abuses uncovered in the Pagano investigation. They've vowed to clean up their policies in a new era of transparency so it isn't possible for an executive director to wield as much power as Pagano, who received at least $475,000 in unauthorized vacation payouts and was able to forge Metra Chairwoman Carole Doris' signature on documents.

"I don't know of another public sector agency that's been so committed to publicly reviewing it's own problems," Doris said.

Still, board members seem to be stubbornly clinging to the idea that the permanent inspector general should be hired by and report to the board.

That is not the way to gain public confidence at a time when this board needs to work doubly hard to gain that trust back.

"What must be avoided is an inspector general that serves at the pleasure of those investigating but is denied permission to key resources and is seen as too closely aligned with management," said former city of Chicago inspector general David Hoffman, who testified at a hearing last month on the issue.

Indeed the board had serious lapses in controls during Pagano's tenure and failed to realize it. While one legislator is calling for a complete overhaul, we think, for the time being, issues can be resolved with an independent inspector general is on board.

We're heartened by Doris' comments Friday that she is committed to working with legislators on the inspector general issue. They will meet again in September to hopefully iron out details. A report by the temporary inspector general also called for an independent office but did not specify how one would be chosen.

We believe Metra need only look at another transportation agency - the Illinois tollway - for guidance. Gov. Pat Quinn signed legislation late last month sponsored by state Sen. Susan Garrett, a Lake Forest Democrat, that re-creates the office of tollway inspector general appointed by the governor and confirmed by the Senate. Previously, the tollway management hired the inspector general.

Metra should follow suit and then get on with the business of cleaning up its act.