Two more public executives were dismissed from their jobs in recent weeks, taking with them thousands of dollars in severance deals funded by taxpayers who are left largely in the dark.
Metropolitan Water Reclamation District President David St. Pierre left at the end of June, but taxpayers didn’t know about it until July and they might never know why. A few weeks ago, Southern Illinois University President Randy Dunn was sent away after controversy swirled for months. Eventually, it was revealed he was secretly discussing with some officials splitting up the SIU system, which includes campuses in Carbondale and Edwardsville.
The severance pay St. Pierre and Dunn got isn’t as outrageous as some of the nearly $800,000 deals we’ve seen in Illinois over the years, but it all adds up, especially when it’s taxpayers on the hook and in the dark.
