Durham County manager’s paid leave enters 2nd month, but mystery remains
The Durham County manager has been on paid leave for a month, and county leaders still won’t say why or if she will return.
Kimberly Sowell, who was hired two years ago, is the county’s highest-paid employee and has received around $25,000 in gross pay since she went on leave Sept. 9.
Elected county commissioners have said they legally cannot comment on personnel matters. Chair Nida Allam would only say Monday that Sowell remains on leave.
However, North Carolina law requires some information about county employees be made available to the general public, including the date and type of an employee’s most recent “promotion, demotion, transfer, suspension, separation, or other change in position classification,” according to the statute.
Interim County Attorney Curtis Massey told The News & Observer last week that Sowell’s leave is paid, but county staff are still declining to release any information about the type of Sowell’s leave.
Sowell has not responded to attempts to reach her by phone, social media or email. She does not have access to her county email account.
Diane Juffras, an expert on public employment law at the UNC School of Government, notes the North Carolina statute allows “an exception to the rule of confidentiality when the release of additional information is ‘essential to maintaining public confidence in the administration of county services.’”
That would require the board to agree in writing that the situation fits that criteria. Allam said the board has not discussed that.
Members have held five closed sessions in the past month to discuss personnel matters. The N&O has requested minutes from those meetings.
Sowell was making an annual salary of at least $280,000 in December, according to information provided by the state Treasurer’s Office, about 10% more than the salary she was hired at in March 2022. Sowell’s contract shows she also receives $2,000 a month for housing and $600 a month for a vehicle.
That means since going on leave, Sowell has received over $24,000 in gross pay. The county has yet to respond to a records request asking for her current salary.
A longtime county employee, Claudia Hager, is serving as the acting county manager. Hager’s pay was not increased for that, according to the county.
If Sowell were fired, she would receive a year’s worth of pay and benefits, the contract states. No severance payments would be required if Sowell was convicted of a crime, or if she grossly neglected the duties of the office or refused to carry out county ordinances.
A spokesperson for the State Bureau of Investigation said Sept. 26 that the agency is not involved.
