Excerpts from the oaklawnpatch.com:
The Village of Oak Lawn let go of Fire Chief Michael Mavrogeorge on Thursday due to budget constraints, which they attributed to lost revenue caused by the coronavirus shutdown.
Randy Palmer, who has been serving dual roles as Oak Lawn’s police chief and acting village manager, said they looked at numerous options to cut costs to avoid losing staff, including capital expenditures and equipment cuts. Village officials held several meetings with the collective bargaining units for the fire, police, public works, and jail attendant unions, which were not productive.
The village has also eliminated some non-union positions, reportedly eight in total, so the village can make it through the loss of revenue it will face in the coming months, and possibly years to come. At the last Oak Lawn Village Board meeting on May 12, trustees and the mayor discussed a budget shortfall ranging from $8 million to $10 million
“I wish we didn’t have to pay $4 million in overtime to one department,” the mayor said, referring to the firefighters’ union. “But it is what it is. The problem is we have so few options because of agreements with the firefighter’s union.”
Oak Lawn Deputy Fire Chief Zachary Riddle will serve as the acting fire chief. According to the 2019 employee compensation report posted on the village website, Mavrogeorge earned a salary of $141,496, or $164,171 including healthcare and other benefits. Riddle’s total compensation package in 2019 was $215,603, which included his $130,987 annual salary.
Mavrogeorge was reportedly taken off guard by the termination of his contract. He was not offered a severance package, but medical insurance coverage was extended to other village employees that have been laid off.
thanks Dennis
