Benton County comptroller fired

Saying he has lost all trust in her, Benton County Judge Bob Clinard fired Sarah Wilson, the county's comptroller, effective Tuesday.

Clinard presented Wilson with a letter outlining his reasons for ending her employment with the county. He said he would not comment on the matter beyond what was in the letter. After her meeting with Clinard, Wilson said she had no comment.

In the letter, Clinard told Wilson he had received an anonymous phone call March 28 from "a purported county taxpayer" telling him Wilson had recently married Scott Stober. Stober is the former county public services administrator who was arrested July 30, 2013 in connection with theft of property, a Class D felony; and theft of property, a Class C felony. He later resigned. Two other Road Department supervisors, Jackie Brown and Grant McCracken, were also arrested. Brown was charged in connection with felony theft and McCracken was charged with being an accomplice to theft, a misdemeanor.

Stober and Wilson were in a relationship before his arrest, Sheriff’s Office investigators and Wilson confirmed at the time, and investigators spent several days last summer looking through records in the accounting office.

Clinard said in the letter he told Wilson of the call.

"You did not tell me anything new at that time or over the next two days," Clinard wrote. "The following Monday another anonymous caller reported the same thing. That report was made to the county HR department. I followed up with you again."

Clinard said he asked Wilson "point-blank if it was true" and she confirmed that it was. He said in the letter he and Wilson had talked at length about her relationship with Stober after his arrest. He said Wilson told him then she was no longer in a relationship with Stober.

"I gave you the benefit of the doubt and chose to believe you," Clinard said.

Clinard said Wilson, as the county's comptroller is responsible for supervising the quality of accounting and financial reporting of the organization. He said her continuation or renewal of a relationship with someone accused of stealing from the county raised questions about his original decision.

"I chose to suspend you with pay last Friday because I felt compelled to revisit my conclusions and decisions made immediately after the discovery of the theft and your relationship during that period of time," he said in the letter. "Over the weekend I thought about it more and I decided that there is simply no way that I can continue your employment."

Clinard said that since Wilson was not forthcoming about her relationship with Stober he now questions her judgment.

"I am an elected official and the taxpayers are counting on me to make good an wise decisions on their behalf." he said. "The citizens want to know that I have a comptroller who is managing our county money properly and is helping us prevent theft and misuse of county funds. I need to know that I have a person with good judgment. I now doubt your judgment since you were not forthcoming with me. The bottom line is that I have lost all confidence in you. And, given the circumstance, I don't see how I can regain confidence in you or how I can ask the taxpayers to have confidence in you. If I were to continue your employment, I would have to use resources to go behind you and double-check. That's too expensive and simply unworkable. I intend to replace you with a person I have no reason to distrust and in whom I have needed confidence."

Barb Ludwig, the county's human resources director, said Wilson will be paid through Friday and has until the end of the business day Friday to give notice if she plans to file a grievance under the county's employment policies. If Wilson requests a hearing on her dismissal, it will be heard by the five justices of the peace on the county's grievance council.

"She will be treated just like any other employee of the county that files a grievance," Ludwig said.

Ludwig said if Wilson requests a hearing, it will be scheduled no later than 14 days after the request is made.