Cicero's boards are full of the president's relatives
From Sunshine Review
July 22, 2009 The Illinois town of Cicero's boards have several of its president's relatives serving, receiving pay and health insurance.[1]
[edit] President's family business
Cicero Town President Larry Dominick offered his brother a spot in the town's government.
"We were just talking and he said, 'How would you like to sit on a town board, get full health insurance and make a thousand bucks a month?'" Richard Dominick said. "I told him, 'Do you think I'm nuts? Yeah, I'll take that.'"
Richard Dominick was a window salesman with no experience in law enforcement who served on the Cicero Board of Fire & Police Commissioners after the conversation with his brother.
The Chicago Tribune discovered that 121 appointed board and commission members in Cicero are paid salaries, totaling $1 million of taxpayer money each year. These employees are also offered health and dental insurance that includes their families.
The town has a population of about 85,000 with a history of nepotism and was once the criminal headquarters of Al Capone. Ernest Hemingway was also born in this town.
Richard Dominick has since transferred to the town's building board, but was fired in the spring for "asking too many questions."
"These boards are a joke," Richard Dominick said. "It's all about political payback. Have you ever heard of a town that gives board members that much money and health insurance? Some of these board members don't even live in town."
Other Dominick relatives served on Cicero town boards in 2009 including Lillian Dominick (Larry Dominick's mother, who serves on the Animal Welfare Board), and Brian (Larry Dominick's son) and Wayne Wente (Dominick's nephew) who both serve on the Housing and Real Estate Board. Additinoally, Larry Dominick's first wife, Carol Bernhard, serves on the Cultural Affairs/Historic Sites Commission and Ryan Chlada, son-in-law of Larry Dominick's second wife, is on the Youth Commission and works as director of special events. Cindy Dembowski, who is Larry Dominick's sister, served on the Animal Welfare Board in 2008 and now is deputy liquor commissioner.
Each member of the 121 person board is paid $7,500 to $12,000 a year and is eligible for insurance benefits, Montenegro said.
Salaries of the board members would amount to $907,500 to more than $1.4 million a year if each member was paid as Richard Dominick was paid, yet Cicero officials would not disclose exact salaries that were requested under the Freedom of Information Act.[1]
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