The county’s sick leave policy should be modified to allow the payout of nearly $26,000 to the former corporation counsel, a committee decided Aug. 7.
The Law Enforcement/Judiciary Committee unanimously agreed to create a new policy for employees who are eligible to retire but instead resign after at least 30 years of county employment.
At issue is a $25,944 payout to Robert Mraz, a half-time corporation counsel and half-time assistant district attorney (ADA) working in Oconto County for 32 years.
In July, he accepted a full-time ADA position funded by the state. In accepting his new position, he lost his accrued sick leave for the corporation counsel position; sick leave is to be paid out only after retirement or death.
Administrative Coordinator Kevin Hamann called this a unique situation because of Mraz’s 32 years of service. Mraz left the county position under unusual circumstances, he added. After more than 20 years of requests, Oconto County was granted full-time funding for the ADA position.
“When that came available, my choices were real limited,” Mraz told the committee on Aug. 7. “I wanted to work full time.”
He had only a few days to decide if he wanted to accept the ADA position. He didn’t have the option to retire from his county job, then wait the necessary 75 days to begin the state job.
Committee members went back and forth on the issue.
“The simplest way is to leave the policy as it is. Bob knew it was like that,” Paul Bednarik said.
“He’s entitled to the pay,” argued committee chairman Gerald Beekman, yet he admitted it is a burden for the county to absorb.
Bednarik recommended the payment be made now and not postponed until Mraz retires from the ADA position.
The committee recommendation will be forwarded to the Personnel and Wages Committee and will also need County Board approval to become final.
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