Durham County manager exits job 6 weeks after being on paid leave
Durham County Manager Kimberly Sowell has resigned after over six weeks of unexplained paid leave.
County commissioners emerged from a closed session meeting around 9:15 p.m. Monday and voted unanimously to accept her resignation, effective immediately.
Chair Nida Allam and County Attorney Larissa Williamson refused to answer any questions about the resignation Monday night.
Claudia Hager, a longtime county employee, will continue to serve as acting county manager, just as she did when the previous county manager was ousted in 2021.
The same board members unanimously hired Sowell in early 2022. She went on leave Sept. 9, and county leaders would not say why or whether she would return.
County officials have also declined to release any information about the type of Sowell’s leave, other than that it was paid.
Sowell was not at Monday night’s meeting. She has not responded to The News & Observer’s attempts to reach her by phone, social media or email.
Will Durham county manager receive severance?
Sowell was the county’s highest-paid employee, overseeing the county’s nearly $1 billion budget and roughly 2,400 employees. She has received over $35,000 in gross pay since September.
It’s unclear what Sowell will receive in severance. Her contract said she would receive a year’s worth of pay and benefits if she was fired, though no payment would be required if Sowell was convicted of a crime, neglected her duties or refused to carry out county ordinances.
Allam and Williamson would not discuss the settlement terms Monday night, and spokesperson Deborah Craig-Ray told The N&O to submit a written request. No information was released on Tuesday, and the only commissioner reached by phone, Wendy Jacobs, said she could not comment.
Sowell’s resignation letter is not considered a public record under North Carolina law, but other information may be released by county officials.
When the Durham Public Schools superintendent resigned in January, he received a year’s pay as severance. DPS administration immediately released his resignation agreement and the Board of Education chair made a public statement.
Sowell was making an annual salary of at least $280,000 in December, according to information provided by the state Treasurer’s Office. Sowell’s contract shows she also received $2,000 a month for housing and $600 a month for a vehicle.
The county has not responded to a records request asking her current salary.
A spokesperson for the State Bureau of Investigation said Sept. 26 that the agency is not involved. The state auditor’s office would not comment on whether an investigation was open.
County manager position has rocky history
Sowell took over in March 2022, one year after her predecessor Wendell Davis was ousted by the same board.
Davis then sued the county and won $790,000 in a settlement, according to records released by the county in 2023. Davis, who is Black, accused the two white commissioners of racial and sex-based discrimination in the lawsuit, though both denied the charges.
It’s unclear when a search for a new county manager will begin.
The city is also searching for new leadership, though under very different circumstances. City Manager Wanda Page is retiring at the end of this year after 37 years with the city.
This story was originally published October 28, 2024 at 9:35 PM.
