Leroy Alsup is staying on as Cowley County administrator, but first he’s leaving. He’ll also earn more but his retirement plans will save the county some money.
Got all that?
Tuesday night county commissioners approved a plan that allows Alsup to retire as administrator Sept. 30 ? so he can be eligible to start earning part of his KPERs retirement benefit ? but return 60 days later in the same position with the same salary. He’ll be back on the job Dec. 1.
Overall, Alsup’s compensation package will climb a bit from this budget year to next. His salary and benefits now total roughly $105,000.
Next year that number climbs a bit to $107,000.
But, when Alsup, 55, returns he’ll no longer be eligible for KPERS, so the county, he said, will save the $8,200 a year it paid as its share of Alsup’s participation in the state retirement program.
Alsup said his retirement plan is less common for county employees but a frequent occurrence among teachers and other school district workers.
While the county won’t pay Alsup for two months, he is owed a lump-sum payment for 50 percent of his unused sick leave and all unused vacation time. All full-time employees are paid in the same manner based on length of service with the county.
Alsup was named administrator in 2004.
Alsup said contract negotiations got under way this year when he was offered another, higher-paying job in another state. Cowley County commissioners asked him to consider staying to help finish projects that included formation of a new county CDDO and the formation of a county-wide 911 center.
The retirement plan was proposed as a way for Alsup to stay in Cowley County but cash in on some retirement and other benefits.
Commissioner Alan Groom supported the plan and said the administrator position was necessary to help the county operate efficiently. If Alsup had left, Groom said he would’ve been eager to quickly start a search for a replacement.
Replacing Alsup will be difficult whenever that day comes, he said.
"He’s done an excellent job," Groom said.
Alsup’s deal is a three year agreement, though he said it was not clear how long he would stay. That would depend on other opportunities that might come up and the status of projects in which the county was involved.
