Even perception of sneakiness can draw outrage

Today’s topic: Sneakiness in government.

Or the perception thereof.

Several recent examples:

Ÿ The Winfield village board doubled the severance payout for its village manager, should he be fired without cause. The matter was placed on the “consent agenda,” meaning it required no public discussion.

Ÿ The Carol Stream library board approved the hiring of three new employees and raises of up to 4 percent for library staffers at the final board meeting before the swearing in of two new library trustees, both of whom have been critical of the library’s spending habits.

Ÿ Ex-DuPage Housing Authority Director John Day rang up thousands of dollars in what federal authorities are calling improper charges on his authority-issued credit card. In a three-year span, charges include scores of restaurants; jewelry, cooking and cigar stores; a health club membership for Day, plus some spiffs for his government car.

The housing authority scandal prompted a letter to the Daily Herald, published online and in Friday’s print editions, from DuPage County Board Chairman Dan Cronin. He covers much of the same ground that’s been explored in the numerous stories on the topic by Robert Sanchez: Upon learning of the spending spree — much of which was for gifts and meals for staff and/or housing board members — Cronin forced Day’s ouster and the resignation of the volunteer board. Cronin also is seeking legislation to gain greater control of agencies such as the housing authority and another group recently famous for its financial shenanigans: the DuPage Water Commission.

I wondered why Cronin was compelled to fire off such a letter when he had been quoted saying many of the same things just this week on our front page. I received a possible answer in the form of another letter that appeared in our Fence Post inbox. The writer opined that the chairman of the county board was responsible for the mess at these two agencies, and why wasn’t he being hung out to dry.

I opted not to publish that letter because it was so flat-out wrong; neither agency is under the county’s purview. But it hammered home the point that when there’s a perception pols or government employees are pulling something behind our backs, there’s an almost indiscriminate lashing out.

And I’m of the belief that it’s not necessarily the issue that prompted the furtiveness that ticks people off as much as the furtiveness itself.

Take Winfield. One could argue that the incumbent village board was trying to do the right thing by providing some financial security to Village Manager Curt Barrett, who was under fire from two of the candidates elected. It’s no secret the careers of municipal managers can turn on an election, so maybe the fears of his supporters weren’t unjustified. But what they did do, by slipping it onto the consent agenda on the last meeting before the new trustees were seated, was create the perception that they were trying to sneak through the severance deal. Heck, we wouldn’t have known about had not reporter Marco Santana carefully pored over the finer items on the agenda.

Ditto the Carol Stream library board. One could argue there’s a case to be made for the additional staffing, and the raises might be justified, though that’s an extremely touchy issue these days. There was some discussion about the timing of the hirings, with one board member questioning whether the new board could undo them.

“The board could eliminate jobs today,” was the reply.

Whatever the people want.

jdavis@dailyherald.com