New Arlington Hts. manager will get moving, car allowance
Arlington Heights' next village manager will get money to help him move to the village and a monthly car and phone allowance, in addition to his $180,000 starting salary, according to a contract unanimously approved by the village board Monday.
Randy Recklaus, 39, who currently serves as village manager in West suburban Clarendon Hills, will start in Arlington Heights on Nov. 10 under the four-year deal.
He will be paid a base salary of $180,000, and be eligible for raises after annual performance reviews from village trustees. He also will receive an automobile allowance of $500 per month. The village will either provide Recklaus with a cellphone or pay him a monthly $100 cellphone allowance, according to the contract.
Arlington Heights code requires that the manager live in the village within a "reasonable" date of employment. According to Recklaus' contract, that date has been extended to one year, or by Sept. 15, 2015, giving Recklaus time to sell his home in Batavia and move his family to Arlington Heights. The village will pay for moving and packing expenses not to exceed $10,000, according to the contract.
Recklaus will be covered by the same benefits plans as other Arlington Heights employees, and be eligible for a pension through the Illinois Municipal Retirement Fund. He will receive four weeks of vacation each year starting Jan. 1, and two weeks of vacation from his first day of employment in November until the end of the year.
Recklaus was not at Monday's board meeting when his contract was approved, but Mayor Tom Hayes said the village will plan a meet-and-greet event that will be open to the public sometime during his first week on the job.
"This is a very momentous occasion for the village of Arlington Heights," Hayes said. "I know Randy is looking forward to hitting the ground running."
Recklaus replaces former manager Bill Dixon, who spent 21 years at the helm before retiring in June.