The good times are coming to an end.

Fox 32 Chicago reports.

College presidents’ pricey perks coming to an end

CHICAGO (FOX 32 News) – They were paid six figures and are accused of mismanaging millions. Now, two financial officials with the College of DuPage are out of jobs. But they are not alone.

Top executives at public colleges throughout Illinois are getting big salaries, and benefits such as country club memberships and personal drivers.

But FOX 32’s Dane Placko investigated, and those pricey perks are coming to an end.

“Universities and colleges are engaged in this sort of salary and benefits arms race,” said State Senator Bill Cunningham.

Cunningham says it was a wakeup call. He and other lawmakers were stunned earlier this year when the College of DuPage agreed to give its outgoing president Robert Brueder a severance package of $763-thousand dollars, as required by his contract.

That prompted Senate Democrats to prepare a report detailing all the benefits and perks being given to presidents at Illinois’ 55 universities and community colleges.

“Where they all try to outdo each other, paying higher salaries and attaching more and more special benefits to it. And at some point when you’re operating a public entity that’s dependent on taxpayer dollars and tuition dollars, You have to say enough is enough,” Cunningham said.