Breaking down perks at Metra

Perhaps it's just the fact I've always worked at newspapers, including one early in my career that nearly went bust, but I'm envious of the salaries and perks Metra executives receive.

This comes after devouring a massive binder full of details about wages and benefits to Metra high-ups released Friday following a Freedom of Information Act request.

The draft report on executive compensation was requested by Metra directors as they try to get the agency back on track after Executive Director Phil Pagano's suicide.

Pagano died in the midst of an investigation into financial misconduct. He received more than $475,000 in unauthorized vacation pay and forged Chairman Carole Doris' signature on several related documents.

Here's a few reasons why I'm envious plus some interesting tidbits culled from the report.

• Metra has a pension plan for employees but also offers a 401(K). There's a policy on the books that says the 401(K) is supposed to be employee-contributions only. Yet the agency budgeted $313,000 in 401(K) contributions to 26 people in upper management this year

• Under Pagano's broad powers as CEO, he was able to authorize one extra week of vacation for four top staffers in January. An HR memo notes that none of the recipients had asked for it.

• Metra budgeted to pay seven senior managers, including Pagano, more than $200,000 in wages and benefits in 2010, a year certain fares were raised to makes ends meet.

• Twenty-three employees have an assigned car 24/7.

• Senior executives have supplemental Medicare coverage paid for by Metra after retiring. Board members and spouses are also eligible for this perk, according to a policy signed in 2000.

• Although his salary was in the $260,000 range, Pagano received $461,730 in 2008 and $351,184 in 2009 through a combination of unauthorized vacation advances and some irregular vacation and sick time payouts. In 2010, he was budgeted to receive $1.1 million, most of which includes an executive compensation plan payout, but because he borrowed from that fund the final amount is subject to change.

• Eleven Metra employees received a combined $152,981 in vacation payouts between 2006 and 2009 - even though that's prohibited except under very rare circumstances.

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