State tollway board: How do you guarantee working for free?

When the new members of the Illinois tollway board convened with incumbents Thursday, some were paid for their time and others weren't.

The discrepancy exists because incoming board Chairman Paula Wolff and directors Tom Weisner and Bill Morris agreed not to take salaries when appointed to the job by Gov. Pat Quinn Aug. 6. Quinn took over in January following ousted Gov. Rod Blagojevich's arrest on federal corruption charges (including allegations he tried to extort donations from a contractor in connection with a tollway project).

Quinn pledged to clean house at the agency providing a déjà vu moment back to 2003 when Blagojevich recruited a new team of tollway leadership promising reforms and guaranteeing no compensation.

As a result, most tollway directors did not get paid for several years. But in 2008 with the blessing of Blagojevich, salaries were reinstated.

Illinois law allows tollway directors to be paid salaries, with current levels at $31,426 for directors and $36,077 for the chairman. They also are eligible for health insurance at no cost and can participate in the state pension system.

The fact the board will comprise both haves and have nots did not trouble Quinn, an official said.

"The governor is pleased to have ethical, experienced managers on the board like Paula Wolff, Bill Morris and Tom Weisner, who will advocate for everyone who uses the tollway," Quinn spokesman Marlena Jentz wrote in an e-mail. "They have chosen to serve the people without pay.

"The compensation of other members will not interfere with the board's ability to carry out its mission and duties."

As for me, I'm a simple person. I like things either one way or the other. The inconsistencies are befuddling for the public and transportation writers.

Morris, a former Waukegan mayor, said that given the troubled economy, foregoing a salary "seemed appropriate. We agreed it was time to tighten our belts."

The salary disparity is part of a wider problem with Illinois boards and commissions, he believes. "Having people voluntarily forgo salaries is not long-term reform," he said. "The bigger issue is - should any one on a board or commission be paid or not?"

Wolff, a senior executive at Chicago 2020, said in an interview shortly after she was appointed that compensation was not the issue. "I'm interested in being a good citizen. I'm also excited about the opportunities," she said.

Former Chairman John Mitola, who stepped down Aug. 5 after a six-year appointment, served without pay until 2008 at which time there was a consensus among board members that salaries were merited. "After 41/2 years of hard work it seemed appropriate," Mitola said, adding the board's accomplishments included progress on a $6.3 billion congestion relief project.

Director James Roolf, who served without pay until 2008, believes compensation is fair. "I know how much time and effort is involved," he said. Roolf said his duties aren't just preparing for and attending meetings but include communicating with the public. "Communities along the Veterans Tollway and I talk regularly," said Roolf, who lives in Will County.

Naperville Mayor George Pradel, who received a salary as a tollway director in 2002 and part of 2003 then worked without a salary until 2008, agreed. "I think the job is very important and we should be compensated," he said. But Pradel noted, "I'm open to whatever. I just want to serve on the tollway board. I work at their pleasure and just want to do the best job I can."

Tollway records indicate similar disconnects existed before. Director James Banks, who was first appointed in 1993, received a salary in 2004, 2005 and for a smidgen of 2006 while his colleagues got nothing. Banks could not be reached for comment.

State Rep. Jack Franks, a tollway critic who thinks the agency should be rolled into the Illinois Department of Transportation, wants Quinn to get rid of or reduce pay for people serving on boards and commissions.

"Instead of cutting social services, the governor should cut pay on boards and commissions," said Franks, a Marengo Democrat. He described the system as a "vestige of patronage politics."

Terry Pastika, executive director of the Citizen Advocacy Center in Elmhurst, cited problems with the electronic toll system that resulted in late notices going out and licenses being misidentified. Because of such flaws, salaries aren't deserved, she believes.

The current mishmash is sending out mixed signals for the general public, Pastika added.

It could be Quinn will address the issue by appointing new board members who agree to work for free to replace the four directors whose terms have already expired.

But unless there's something written in stone guaranteeing no pay, time has proven there's nothing permanent about good intentions.