CHICAGO (AP) - An Illinois transit task force suggests cutting the pay of transit board members and requiring transit executives to guarantee politics play no part in purchases.
The Northeastern Illinois Public Transit Task Force started work last year after allegations of political pressure over jobs and conflicts of interest arose at Chicago’s Metra commuter rail agency.
U.S. attorney and task force member Patrick Fitzgerald says there is a lot to be done in the area of ethics reform. He supports stripping transit board members of salaries.
However, former CTA board chairman Carole Brown says board members “contribute an incredible amount of time and effort,” and it could be hard to find qualified volunteers without a stipend.
The task force also looked at the funding and operations of Metra, Pace and the CTA.
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