Report: McAlester city manager's pay is comparable, but buyback provision isn't

Friday, December 24th 2004, 5:45 am

By: News On 6

McALESTER, Okla. (AP) _ The base salary of McAlester's city manager is comparable with others in Oklahoma but officials in several communities say a leave buyback provision in his contract is unusual.

The McAlester News-Capital checked with at least 10 communities and found that Randy Green's $89,748 annual salary, dental, health and life insurance and a $700 per month car allowance are similar to compensation packages offered to other city managers in Oklahoma.

But unlike other city managers, Green's contract allowed city officials to give him extra vacation time, which he can sell back to the city.

State and federal authorities are investigating the city's buyback of $579,500 in unused vacation and/or sick days from Green since July 1999.

``I can't think of any cases where anything like that has happened here,'' said Tom Hagan, human resources director for the city of Stillwater.

The city manager there gets an annual salary of $97,500, a $300 per month car allowance and paid insurance.

The Stillwater city manager accrues three weeks of vacation annually. A maximum of 160 hours vacation time can be on the books but the city manager can't sell unused time, Hagan said.

``Stillwater will buy unused sick leave back from individuals, but we don't pay full price,'' Hagan said. ``We pay anywhere from five to 20 percent, depending on how long someone's been with us.''

The city manager of Edmond receives $117,600 per year, as well as a $400 per month car allowance.

The city manager isn't allowed to sell unused vacation time back to the city, said Michaela Williams, human resources director.