Kane County chairman, Metra director at odds
The future of one director on the embattled Metra board is in play following the Kane County chairman's call for her resignation.
Saying “the current board provides a distraction from Metra's ability to move forward,” Kane County Board Chairman Karen McConnaughay has asked Metra Director Caryl Van Overmeiren to step down.
Van Overmeiren said she intends to stay on until McConnaughay has appointed a replacement.
“I would hate to leave an open seat,” Van Overmeiren, of Geneva, said.The agency has been in turmoil since the suicide of its former Executive Director Phil Pagano amid a financial misconduct probe in May 2010.It was revealed he took at least $475,000 in unauthorized vacation payouts. The Daily Herald reported that the agency has spent about $2 million in consultant fees to investigate what went wrong and recommend improvements.
#8220;I find it very troubling that this board spent $2 million and counting trying to determine how an employee stole $500,000,#8221; McConnaughay said. #8220;One begins to understand how he might have thought he'd get away with it. It's outrageous.#8221;
McConnaughay said it's her impression that Van Overmeiren has declined to resign and as a result she is setting up a task force to come up with a list of qualifications and search countywide for a replacement.
But Van Overmeiren said, #8220;I would think my position would be to remain on the board until some of this is resolved and there is a new appointee ... representing Kane County is important.#8221;
Van Overmeiren recently said hiring consultants #8220;had to be done to get things turned around.#8221; Two other directors have left recently including former Metra Chairman Carole Doris, whose resignation was accepted by DuPage County Chairman Dan Cronin.
Several state lawmakers have called for the entire Metra board to resign in pending Senate legislation.
But several county chairmen #8212; other than Cronin and McConnaughay #8212; are backing their appointees. Suburban county chairmen and Cook County commissioners are authorized to make appointments to the 11-member Metra board. Directors are paid $15,000 a year.