SENIOR STAFF VEHICLES NOT AS UNCOMMON AS YOU’D THINK THEY ARE

At the December 1 Workshop Meeting of the Glen Ellyn Park District Board of Commissioners, Commissioner Jay Kinzler offered suggestions for cutting costs. Kinzler contacted the Hinsdale, Lombard and Wheaton Park Districts and reported back that they do not offer vehicles for their Senior Executives.

Glen Ellyn Park District Executive Director Cory Atwell and Superintendent of Parks Dave Scarmardo remarked that the policy was in place when they were hired: 16 years and 11 years ago respectively.

Superintendent of Finance Laurie Woods offered information from a survey she conducted from 41 other Park Districts in Illinois, and the Forest Preserve District of DuPage County. Woods offered that it is not unique that the Glen Ellyn Park District offer vehicles for Senior Staff. A FOI (Freedom of Information Act) request was filed by the Glen Ellyn Park Bench with the Glen Ellyn Park District for the Superintendent Woods Vehicle Survey. The Vehicle Survey is as follows:

Questions that were asked in the 11-07-2009 survey:

1. What positions in your organization gets cars?
2. Are they taxed for it as a benefit for personal use?
3. If they do not get a company car, do they get a car allowance?

• Woodridge Park District
1. Parks Superintendent, Landscape Architect, Facilities Manager, and in the summer Aquatics Maintenance Supervisor
2. Yes everyone is taxed
3. Everyone else is encouraged to take a company vehicle for around town driving but reimbursed for their personal vehicle is necessary

• Vernon Hills Park District
1. Executive Director and Superintendent of Parks
2. Yes
3. No allowances, only mileage reimbursement for travel/training etc.

• Streamwood Park District
1. No one, we do not have a “company car.” All we have is vehicles for our maintenance crew
2. N/A
3. Currently there is a freeze on mileage reimbursement. In addition, there are only two people who currently receive a car allowance: Director (In his contract) and the Superintendent of Recreation

• WDSRA
1. Superintendent of Recreation
2. Yes
3. Executive Director has a salary adjustment to compensate for not having a company vehicle

• Medinah Park District
1. The Director receives a car
2. He is taxed for it at the end of the year
3. Superintendent receives an allowance each month; he is also taxed at the end of the year. The person who does the banking gets reimbursed but it is not that much

• Skokie Park District
1. Director, Superintendent of Recreation, Superintendent of Facilities/Parks
2. Taxed for personal use
3. No Response

• Darien Park District
1. The Executive Director
2. Is claimed on taxes
3. The rest receive mileage if they use there own cars for company business, there is a fleet of trucks and a van that can be used during the day for business purposes

• Glenview Park District
1. Executive Director and 4 Division Superintendents
2. Yes
3. No Response

• Urbana Park District
1. Superintendent of Operations
2. Yes, for personal miles used…. Goes on paycheck
3. Yes, Executive Director and Superintendent of Recreation receive a car allowance. Is a taxable benefit, also IMRF wages

• Mundelein Park District
1. Superintendent of Parks, Superintendent of Golf Course
2. Everyone is taxed
3. The Director is given $7,000 annual car allowance

• Tinley Park – Park District
1. Director
2. Pays 40% of the annual miles driven multiplied by the IRS mileage rate
3. No Response

• Northbrook Park District
1. Three Directors (Division Heads) and the Executive Director
2. Yes
3. No allowances, actual mileage reimbursement for all staff that use their personal car for business

• Deerfield Park District
1. Executive Director, Director of Park Services, Director of Leisure Services
2. Yes, using IRS lease value method
3. No car allowances, other staff can submit reimbursement on a per mile basis

• Naperville Park District
1. None
2. No Response
3. Yes (applies to Executive Director only)

• Morton Grove Park District
1. Director only
2. Tax on personal usage
3. No Response

• Wheeling Park District
1. No
2. No
3. No

• St. Charles Park District
1. Superintendent of Parks and Superintendent of Recreation
2. It is added to their income and they pay tax on it
3. The Director got an increase in pay for not taking a car, the two that get cars get no reimbursement, and they can fill up with gas at the district. Anyone else that uses their own car for business can get reimbursed per the federal rate

• Forest Preserve District of DuPage County
1. Law enforcement personnel take their squads home
2. Law Enforcement are exempt from taxation
3. The Executive Director gets a car allowance and is taxed for it

• Des Plaines Park District
1. Executive Director, Superintendent of Finance, Superintendent of Recreation
2. It is taxed as a non-cash benefit

• Huntley Park District
1. The Executive Director has a company car
2. His W-2 is adjusted for it
3. The golf course has a company car, the Superintendent takes it home and also has his W-2 adjusted for this use.

• Batavia Park District
1. None.
2. No Response
3. The Director gets a car allowance, which goes through payroll

• Downers Grove Park District
1. Administrator, Director of Parks, Director of Recreation
2. Yes
3. Parks Foreman has a vehicle to take home but no personal use. Others use pool vehicles or receive the IRS mileage reimbursement for work use

• Park District of Highland Park
1. No company Cars
2. Director and Department Heads receive allowance and is taxed
3. All other staff receives mileage reimbursement at IRS rate

• Arlington Heights Park District
1. Executive Director, Directors
2. Yes
3. Business use of personal vehicle qualifies for mileage reimbursement (must have proof of insurance on file)

• Buffalo Grove Park District
1. Executive Director, Deputy Director, Superintendent of Parks, and the Risk Manager
2. They are taxed each paycheck on their personal use of the car
3. They do provide a car allowance to about 8 others they provide details of there usage to the district

• Prospect Heights Park District
1. Such a small Park District no one has a company car
2. No Response
3. There are park district vehicles that can be used for park district purposes during the work day

• River Forest Park District
1. No Response
2. Yes it is taxed
3. The Executive Director gets a car allowance it’s $4,200 year

• Rolling Meadows Park District
1. Superintendent of Parks
2. Yes
3. 2 employees get a car allowance, Superintendent of Recreation and the Executive Director

• Northfield Park District
1. The Executive Director
2. None of the benefits are taxed
3. The Executive Director and the Superintendent of Recreation get a car allowance

• Crystal Lake Park District
1. No Response
2. No Response
3. The Director is the only employee with a car allowance and it is $7,200 a year

• River Trails Park District
1. No one gets a company car
2. No Response
3. No Response

• New Lenox Park District
1. None
2. N/A
3. Just the Director, he is paid through payroll and yes taxes are taken out

• Carol Stream Park District
1. The Executive Director, Director of Parks and Facilities, Director of Recreation
2. Yes, they will be starting this year. They are currently working on how to handle this
3. The Director of Marketing Services receives a $590 annual car allowance. In previous years this was processed through A/P. Starting in 2010, it will be handled through payroll so that it will be taxed

• Bensenville Park District
1. None
2. N/A
3. Only the Director receives a car allowance

• Addison Park District
1. Executive Director and Superintendent of Parks
2. Yes, added to W-2 each year
3. Other Superintendents and Department Heads and most Supervisors receive a monthly stipend of $80 (reviewed each time the IRS updates the allowable mileage reimbursement rate)

• Winfield Park District
1. None
2. No Response
3. Provide mileage at the current rate

• Wheaton Park District
1. Executive Director receives a car
2. The Director is taxed
3. All other staff receives mileage reimbursement

• Bloomingdale Park District
1. The Director and Superintendent of Parks receives a car
2. They are not taxed
3. All other staff receives mileage reimbursement

• Lombard Park District
1. Director receives a car allowance of $500 a month
2. The Director is taxed
3. All other staff receives mileage reimbursement

• Elk Grove Park District
1. Director of Parks, Superintendent of Golf
2. No Tax
3. Executive Director receives a $500 car allowance, the Superintendent of Recreation and the Superintendent receive $100 month for car expenses

• Elmhurst Park District
1. No cars are going home, but 3 employees are allowed to go to the Park District gas pump and fill their cars up
2. They are taxed
3. All other employees receive mileage reimbursement

• Hoffman Estates
1. 6 Division Heads receive cars and they take them home
2. They are taxed for it
3. All other employees receive mileage reimbursement

The next Regular Board Meeting of the Glen Ellyn Park District is scheduled for Tuesday, December 15 at 7:00 P.M. The meetings are held at the Spring Avenue Recreation Center (SARC) 185 Spring Avenue. As with all meetings, the public is invited and welcome to attend.