Another 5-Plus Months On Payroll For Joliet's 'Retired' Planning Director

JOLIET, IL — Six months after Joliet's City Council honored retiring planning director Jim Torri with a proclamation, thanking him for 34 years of loyal service, Torri is now off the city's payroll as of this week. For the past five and a half months, Torri remained on Joliet's payroll as an active employee after accruing 19.4 weeks of unused vacation under Joliet's fringe benefits program — 776 hours at the time of his retirement announcement last November.

Between mid-November when Torri finished working at City Hall through April, the retiring planning director made at least $63,776 through Joliet's taxpayers for Torri's unused vacation time, plus at least six extra city employee holidays he was allowed to get.

As a result of several Freedom of Information Act requests, Joliet Patch learned that Torri worked out a unique arrangement with first-year city manager Beth Beattie to remain on Joliet's regular payroll for the past five and a half months, even though he was no longer working inside City Hall.

During December, January, February, March and April, Torri, who had an annual salary of more than $152,000, received a standard twice per month paycheck for his unused vacation time. After Torri finished coming to work in mid-November, the city department head received holiday pay for various city of Joliet holidays including Christmas and New Year's.

For Torri, eight hours of holiday pay amounted to another $585, and it prolonged his efforts to use up his excess vacation time. Of note, the city acknowledged that Torri continued to accrue more unused vacation time during the past five-and-a-half months he did not work, because Torri was still considered an active employee and therefore, he was eligible for holiday pay and additional vacation time in accordance with city ordinance.

By staying on Joliet City Hall's payroll until May, Torri should gain an extra year of service time with the Illinois Municipal Retirement System.

"I met today with IMRF, and they confirmed that for me to make it to 35 years I will need to work until May 1st, 2025," Torri wrote Joliet Human Resources Director Kathy Franson last Aug. 16. "My plans are for that to be my official retirement date. I believe that I will have 5.5 months of accumulated vacation by May 2025 that I would like to use to leave earlier."

Torri informed Franson that Beatty had approved his idea of staying on the city payroll and using up his unused vacation, starting around Nov. 15, 2024.

In an email from Sept. 26, Torri wrote, "I know that this is unusual, but I have so much accumulated time that I am going to use, and Beth has approved this plan."

When City Councilwoman Jan Quillman read the proclamation last Nov. 4, she told everyone in Council Chambers that Torri had over 34 years of service to Joliet. Torri spent his entire career in local government working for his hometown of Joliet, first as a college intern, then being promoted to city planner I, city planner II and finally, planning director in 2021.

Meanwhile, Joliet has yet to hire Torri's replacement as the city's next planning director as the department head position has remained empty for the past six months now.

In preparation for this story, Joliet Patch reached out to the city's director of communications Rosemaria DiBenedetto with several questions related to Torri's retirement plan he worked out with Beatty.

Patch: "Is Joliet City Manager Beth Beatty taking steps to address exempt city staff, including department heads, from accruing unlimited amounts of unused vacation and if so, what are they?"

Joliet's Response: In late 2024, Beatty directed the payroll department to annually implement the cap on vacation accruals for non-union staff effective December 31, 2024. This only applies to non-union staff. Any changes affecting union employees would need to be negotiated through collective bargaining.

“In my time here in Joliet, I’ve inherited several protocols that—based on my 20- plus years of experience in municipal government—raise legitimate concerns,” Beatty said. “My approach is to work closely with our legal and HR teams to thoroughly evaluate these practices and compare them with modern standards used by other municipalities. It’s also critical to balance these changes with the terms of our collective bargaining agreements and to ensure fairness and equity across all employee groups.

“Reforms have already begun and will continue as part of a broader effort to modernize and professionalize City operations," Beatty continued.

Patch: "Why didn't Joliet give Jim Torri a lump sum payout in November for his unused vacation accruals when he retired and stopped coming to work? In other words, what made Torri special? Even Torri refers to his situation as 'unusual' in one of his emails to payroll staff."

Joliet's Response: "Mr. Torri was a dedicated and exemplary employee who served the City of Joliet for over 30 years. His contributions to our community were significant and deeply valued. Historically, past administrations allowed for the accrual of unused vacation time, with the option of a lump-sum payout upon separation from City service. In Mr. Torri’s case, he requested that his accrued vacation time be paid out over several months rather than as a one-time lump sum. This arrangement allowed the City to distribute the payments across two fiscal years, helping to manage budget impacts by spreading the cost over five months. Additionally, while on vacation, Mr. Torri continued to respond to inquiries and assist City staff on multiple occasions."

"The majority of Mr. Torri’s vacation time was accrued while he was an AFSCME union member. He later left the union to accept the director’s position. This makes his case a unique circumstance," Beatty explained.

Patch: "Is it standard practice allowing city staff to accrue months of unused paid vacation time and remain on the regular payroll for months after they stopped coming to work? Has this ever been done for other former city employees since Beatty took over as city manager?"

Joliet's Response: "Under previous administrations, there was a lack of enforcement of the City’s policies regarding the accrual and extended payout of unused vacation time. City Manager Beth Beatty eliminated this practice for non-union employees effective December 31, 2024."

Patch: "Has this been done for any other former City employees since Beth Beatty became City Manager?"

Joliet's Response: "Not to our knowledge. However, it is possible that some employees have chosen to use accrued vacation time at the end of their careers rather than receive a lump-sum payout."

Patch: "Torri repeatedly refers to a retirement plan he made with Beatty in his emails to human resources. Was Torri's plan with Beatty to stay on the city payroll from November until May made in writing, and did it have to go to the Joliet City Council for approval?"

Joliet's Response: "Mr. Torri requested a transitional arrangement intended to maintain leadership continuity while the City searched for a permanent replacement for his position. His institutional knowledge and expertise remained valuable during this period of transition. The details of this arrangement were handled administratively, as Mr. Torri was utilizing vacation time he had already accrued."

Cost breakdown since Jim Torri finished working in mid-November:

Dec. 6 paycheck: 64 hours vacation, 8 hours holiday: $5,266

Dec. 20: 72 hours vacation, 8 hours holiday: $5,851

Jan. 3: 72 hours vacation, 8 hours holiday: $5,851

Jan. 17: 72 hours vacation, 8 hours holiday: $5,851

Jan. 31: 72 hours vacation, 8 hours holiday: $5,851

Feb. 14: 80 hours of vacation: $5,851

Feb. 28: 72 hours vacation, 8 hours holiday: $5,851

March 14: 80 hours vacation: $5,851

March 28: 80 hours vacation: $5,851

April 11: 80 hours of vacation: $5,851

April 25: 80 hours of vacation: $5,851

*Even though Torri was officially retiring last week, he is still in line for a buyout of his remaining city of Joliet fringe benefits. As of April 3, Joliet showed Torri as still having 205 hours of unused vacation, 18.5 hours of comp time and 2,375.5 hours of unused sick. The city noted Torri can only be paid for 404.80 hours of unused sick for his retirement buyout. May 1 was set to mark Torri's final day on the city regular payroll.