Park District Executive Director’s High Salary?
Laure Kosey, Executive Director, Oak Brook Park District makes $277,000 a year, a higher salary with benefits than her counterparts at surrounding Park Districts, including our Village Manager of Oak Brook. Salary and benefits paid are the cost to the taxpayer. The Oak Brook Park District is smaller in size based on revenue budget, headcount, parks managed, acres managed.
The Park District currently has 40 total full time employees. Here is the employee salary and benefits of select employees.
Note: If you download from the Park District’s website this same schedule, you will see a discrepancy in total compensation. What is missing from the website 2024 public disclosure is the employer contribution FICA and employer contribution - IMRF pension. The above schedule has these included as they are real cash costs paid by the employer, and were available on the 2023 disclosure.
Total salary and benefits paid for Laure Kosey is $277,000. If adding up all the salary and benefits in similar fashion for other Park District directors, you find the following:
Naperville Park District Executive Director is paid $240,000
Elmhurst Park District Executive Director is paid $224,000
Let’s compare sizes of the Park Districts managed:
Naperville Park District:
Budget $41 million
150,000 residents
2,400 acres
136 parks and two 18-hole golf courses
100+ full time employees
Elmhurst Park District:
Budget $31 million
55,000 residents
475 acres
29 parks and a 9-hole golf course
247 full time employees
Oak Brook Park District:
Budget $17 million
8,000 residents
174 acres
5 parks, no golf course
42 full time employees
Then, to further the point, let’s look at our own Village of Oak Brook. Remember, the Village of Oak Brook is a separate governmental entity from the Oak Brook Park District, with different tax levies, and they operate separately.
The Village Manager of Oak Brook, Greg Summers is paid $205,000
Village of Oak Brook:
Budget $57 million
8,000 residents
5,400 acres
Operates Bath & Tennis Club, golf course, sports core, police, fire, public works, community admin, etc.
WITH $0 PROPERTY TAX LEVY to residents