Clay County severance package agreements blocked by auditor

Payouts of over $371,000 in severance agreements for six Clay County employees were blocked after commissioners signed them without the county's privately hired attorney. The county’s auditor is now waiting on consideration for approval until it has been reviewed by the attorney.

Severance packages for six different exiting Clay County employees has been block by the county’s Auditor, Victor Hurlburt, after the packages were not thoroughly viewed and signed by its commissioners and the county’s private attorney.

Clay County human resources manager D’On Walker is the sixth employee to scheduled to receive a package. Walker’s package includes $17,000 in a severance settlement after claiming a “hostile work environment,” along with taxpayer-funded legal protection after Walker leaves the post.

The agreement is similar to five other severance agreements released through an unsigned news release late on Election Day. The severances show lame-duck Clay County Commissioners Gene Owen and Luann Ridgeway approved settlement and severance agreements for five county employees, including three of the county’s top administrators Nicole Brown, Brad Garrett and Laurie Portwood. All are central figures in an ongoing state audit mired in legal disputes.

In addition, deputy public information officer Nikki Thorn and tourism director Melissa Mohler are leaving. All six severance packages equal more than $371,000, plus any expenses for legal fees and paid testimony of $300-$500 per day for any future inquiries into the county’s practices.

Clay County Auditor Victor Hurlbert blocked the severance packages from moving forward for payment. Hurlbert noticed the county’s privately hired attorney did not sign off on the agreements.

“It gives the appearance of a golden parachute, a bonus, which is against the Missouri constitution, so we need to confirm for sure that this is valid before we send them through,” Hurlbert said.

Hurlbert said he needs to see the county attorney’s signature on the agreements before he would even consider signing off for payment approval. He said several of the agreements had claims with no proof the county’s human resources department tried to reach a resolution.