BENTONVILLE -- Benton County has agreed to pay former comptroller Sarah Wilson more than $43,000 in salary and benefits to settle the appeal of her April 8 firing by County Judge Bob Clinard.
Wilson was fired for not disclosing her relationship with Scott Stober, a former county public services administrator, according to a letter of termination released in April. Stober was arrested July 30, 2013, on theft of property charges involving county property. Stober pleaded guilty to a felony charge of theft on July 21 and awaits sentencing Sept. 11. Wilson was never implicated in the investigation of Stober.
Wilson's letter of termination was not supposed to be released, according to a state attorney general's opinion issued Friday. Wilson had not exhausted her appeal to the county's grievance board and, in this case, the firing did not stand. Personnel records are exempt from public disclosure unless the employee is disciplined or fired and the action against them stands on administrative appeal.
Clinard asked Wilson directly if she was in a relationship with Stober and she said she was not, according to the April dismissal letter. A few days later, after investigation by the county sheriff's office, Clinard asked again, according to the letter. She then acknowledged she and Stober were married. The attempt to conceal the relationship broke Clinard's trust in Wilson and was the reason for her firing, the letter said.
The settlement withdrew the firing and allowed Wilson to resign July 28 and draw pay and benefits until Oct. 9. NWA Media obtained the agreement and related documents from attorneys from both sides on Monday through the state's Freedom of Information Act. The agreement to provide six months' pay and benefits includes the compensation she received since her appeal began.
An April 11 letter from Wilson's attorney to Benton County attorney George Spence was among the documents obtained Monday. That letter read in part: "We believe the county was wrong to terminate Ms. Wilson based on her choice of a spouse, or her failure, in the eyes of the county, to notify her employer of the name of her spouse within some unspecified time period."
The settlement forbids further comment on the case, both Clinard and Spence said Monday.
The dollar value of the six months' pay plus benefits will amount to $43,526.99, Spence said. He expects half the expense of the settlement to be borne by the Arkansas Association of Counties risk management fund, Spence said. Another $5,000 will go to Wilson's attorney Jeff Williams of Fayetteville. Any other fees Wilson owes her legal representation will come out of her share of the settlement, the agreement stipulates. Her current attorney, Stephen Lee Wood of Rogers, was unavailable for comment, a spokesman for his office said. The settlement also bars Wilson from comment on the matter.
Benton County will not oppose Wilson's application for unemployment benefits, the agreement reads. Wilson also agreed to never apply for employment with Benton County again.
Tom Allen, chairman of the county quorum court's Finance Committee, said he has not yet seen the settlement and had no comment Monday.
Correction: A previous version of this story had an incorrect first name for the chairman of the Finance Committee. The error has been corrected.
NW News on 08/05/2014