Naperville parks head raise too much

Naperville parks head raise too much

I have multiple concerns with the raise and guaranteed severance pay for the executive director of the Naperville Park District.

Why was this issue taken up by the former board? It should have been addressed only by the newly elected board, which is accountable to the voters.

And, is why is any type of guaranteed severance included? If you leave a typical private sector position voluntarily, there is no severance. For involuntary severance, there should be an established standard that is reasonable such as two weeks per year up to a maximum of six months pay.

My final concern is the amount of the raise. Twelve percent is ridiculous. According to Towers Watson, private sector employee raises were an average of 2.9 percent for the past three years with 3.0 percent expected in 2015. Top performer raises during that time averaged about 4.5 percent.

I agree that Ray McGury has done a good job for the Naperville Park District. However, the salary package is not acceptable. Have we learned nothing from the state of Illinois financial situation or the debacle underway at the College of DuPage right now?

Every tax increase on the table is touted as just a few dollars, but all the small increases add up. Seniors and other ordinary residents can't afford the continuous growth in the total annual real estate tax that seems to have become the norm.

Carol Schmidt

Naperville