Oversight body scrutinizing ex-Metra CEO severance
An agency that oversees transit operations in northeastern Illinois will question the chairman of the Metra commuter rail agency over a lucrative severance package it approved for its former CEO.
The buyout for Alex Clifford, who resigned June 21, could total $750,000. The deal has drawn scrutiny from state lawmakers and others questioning the cost to taxpayers.
The Regional Transportation Authority is responsible for financial oversight of Metra and other Chicago-area transit networks.
The RTA is conducting a detailed review to determine if the severance deal was “financially prudent.”
Its board of directors will gather for a special meeting Wednesday to question Metra Chairman Brad O’Halloran over the deal, which was agreed to after months of secret negotiations.
Little has been said publicly about why Clifford was pressured to resign.