County adds hundreds despite 'hiring freeze': Almost 1,300 employees put on payroll after Stroger fell ill

Almost 1,300 people were added to the Cook County payroll in themonths after Cook County Board President John Stroger suffered astroke that left him incapacitated and unable to run countygovernment.

Stroger's campaign manager and his chief of staff's daughter wereamong those added to the payroll -- even amid a hiring freeze --while more than a dozen others who were hired have ties to powerfulpolitical machines, records show.

But the idea of a "hiring freeze" is a bit misleading, countyofficials admit, as positions continue to be regularly filled,provided officials show they have a "critical" need.

Hiring peaked with 829 employees added to the payroll in May andJune, compared with 344 in the same months last year, according torecords obtained by an Illinois Freedom of Information Act request.

Since the county's fiscal year began in December, records show,leaders of the cash-strapped government found $41 million availableto fund 1,648 positions.

In the same period last year, the county hired 1,125 people.

'NOT A SIGNIFICANT INCREASE'

County officials say last year saw a unique slowdown in countyhiring and that this year's hiring patterns compare better withearlier years.

"We do not see this as an unusual spike in hiring," said countyspokeswoman Chinta Strausberg. "It is not a significant increase inhiring."

But critics say the county shouldn't be hiring in the samepatterns as earlier years, because county finances are worse thanever before.

That's why they're surprised to see hiring in such numbers,pointing to chaos in the wake of Stroger's absence as a reason forit.

"No one was watching --they snuck people in when no one waslooking," Commissioner Mike Quigley said. "While [Stroger] wasincapacitated, they knew they could get away with it. They should beashamed of themselves."

County human resources director Mark Kilgallon said the county hascontinued to hire only to fill critical needs.

Though the three-year-old hiring freeze can be lifted for publicsafety and health, records show about half of all those hired forfull- and part-time jobs since December were outside those areas.

Kilgallon said in those cases, elected officials had to show acritical need.

But "critical need," others say, is a relative term.

"They're thumbing their nose at Cook County taxpayers by packingthe payroll with all their friends and relatives," said Cook CountyCommissioner Tony Peraica, a Republican vying with Ald. Todd Strogerto be the next president. "The level of hubris they're exhibiting isabsolutely amazing."

While John Stroger was ill, his chief of staff and longtimefriend, James Whigham, ran day-to-day county operations.

RELATIVES ON PAYROLL

The County Board, meanwhile, authorized Kilgallon and budgetdirector Donna Dunnings -- Stroger's niece -- to review new hires.

But Peraica said Whigham and Stroger's patronage chief, GeraldNichols, are to blame for many of the hires, though Whigham deniedthat he played any role in hiring his daughter.

Summer Whigham is one of 39 new counselors at the troubledjuvenile detention center, long described as a dumping ground forpatronage workers.

"I deliberately stayed away from it because of the crap you'reputting out," James Whigham said. "She wanted to be there, she saidthose kids need her. She's educated, she's qualified, and I'm pissedanyone would say I had anything to do with it."

Summer Whigham's hiring means that since 2001, her parents, Jamesand Spring, and brother, James, have all been on the county payroll.

Also hired after Stroger had a stroke in March was his campaignmanager, Bruce Washington, at $133,000 a year, although Whigham saidhis hiring as director of capital planning was in the works longbefore Stroger fell ill. Former Chicago Inspector General AlexanderVroustouris was hired in June as an $86,413-a-year state's attorney.

Other new hires since the fiscal year began include Maria Moreno-Szafarczyk, sister of Commissioner Joseph Mario Moreno, as an $85,000-a-year assistant superintendent at the juvenile center, and EbonieTaylor-Brookins, wife of Ald. Howard Brookins (21st), as a $33,000-a-year aide to Cook County Board of Review Commissioner Larry RogersJr.

Strausberg said more than half of those hired were added to thepayroll by elected officials other than Stroger -- tops among themSheriff Michael Sheahan, who was ordered to add jail guards, andClerk of the Circuit Court Dorothy Brown, who said she was severelyunderstaffed.

Records provided by the county show that as of January, there were26,732 employees, about 1 percent less than were employed last year.

Kilgallon said over the last several years, Stroger cut 2,000 jobsfrom the budget and new employees mean lower salaries for most.

Since December, 1,260 people have left the payroll, and though thecounty has filled those spots and then some, there is an annualsalary difference of $10 million saved.

PADDING THE BUREAUCRACY?

Still, critics have long called for more drastic reductions inwhat they say is bureaucracy padding that payroll and say recenthires are doing nothing to change their minds.

"It looks like a hiring feeding frenzy took place here,"Commissioner Forrest Claypool said.

Interim County Board President Bobbie Steele, who took officeafter Stroger's resignation, promised to "ensure more stringenthiring through a more thorough evaluation system for hiring."

Steele claims she's pushing a tougher hiring freeze on the countythan that enacted by Stroger to help control costs in a $3 billiongovernment facing an $80 million deficit now and a $300 milliondeficit next year.

Kilgallon said because of exemptions for public safety and healthand "critical needs," a county hiring freeze might not produce thekind of results many expect.

"I know when we start a hiring freeze, we're not going to save asignificant amount of money because of the functions we have toperform here," Kilgallon said.

spatterson@suntimes.com

WHERE THEY WORK

Since Dec. 1, Cook County has hired 1,648 full- and part-timeemployees, based on "critical" needs. Where most of them work andwhat most of them do:

Department Jobs

Sheriff 423

Bureau of Health 344

Clerk of Circuit Court 251

Job title Jobs

Student aides 334

Clerks 301

Correctional officers 295

TOP SALARIES

Since the beginning of December, 1,648 full- and part-timeemployees were added to the Cook County payroll. Not includingphysicians at county hospitals, those hired with the highest salariesare:

POSITION SALARY

Bruce Washington Director, Capital Planning $133,424

Salvador Godinez Director, Corrections $124,429

Chinta Strausberg Director, Communications $109,233

Rupert Graham Jr. Assistant superintendent, Highway Dept. $108,228

Susan Kortokrax Chief legal counsel, Treasurer $101,831

Lucio Guerrero Director of Appraisals $99,901

Sheila Ahranjani Pharmacy supervisor $91,549

Rayeon Lampkin Director, Radiology/Imaging $88,350

Julie Bracken Senior instructor, Oak Forest Hospital $86,596

Alexander Vroustouris Assistant state's attorney $86,413

Maria Moreno-Szafarczyk Assistant superintendent, Juvenile Center$85,428