Community Corner

Barwin Collects $125K on His Way Out

After closed-door session, trustees OK severance pay for former Oak Park Village Manager.

Village officials in Oak Park have been tight-lipped over what led to Tom Barwin's surprise resignation last month, but they've unanimously approved a parting gift in the form of a $125,000 severance payment.

The Oak Park Village Board on Monday voted 5-0 to approve the payment after a 90-minute closed-door session. Trustees Bob Tucker and Glenn Brewer were absent from the meeting.

Earlier:

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According to Oak Leaves, the settlement includes "includes an additional 36 hours credit for unused vacation time and deductions for health and life insurance premiums."

Quoting from Village President David Pope's prepared statement, Wednesday Journal reports that the decision leading to the split between Barwin and the board — announced shortly after Barwin's annual performance review — was mutual.

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"Earlier this year, the village board and Tom met and reviewed the current status of village operations and progress," the statement read, according to WJ. "We agreed at that time that a change in leadership was appropriate and would enable Tom to pursue future interests."

Pope wouldn't elaborate on the severance stipulations of Barwin's contract, including, as Oak Leaves notes, "why, if Barwin in fact resigned, was he entitled to nine months of his $165,000 base salary as severance."

Pope told reporters that the village's statement would stand on its own.

After his announcement last month, Barwin declined to say whether or not the village board forced him to resign. He told Patch his departure decidedly wasn't a retirement, but stopped short of saying he was forced out the door.

He said he's exploring options in the private sector and nonprofit world, areas where policy decisions and action happen more quickly than in civic government — which he likened to “running with a parachute.”


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