'An insult and a disgrace': Top Buncombe staff receive raises, 6-figure bonuses

ASHEVILLE — Former Buncombe County manager Wanda Greene received her $241,791 retention incentive despite not staying until the end of this year as stipulated in an unsigned written agreement, county records show.

Under her agreement, Greene could retire no earlier than Dec. 31, 2017. She retired June 30, giving a month's notice that she would leave after 23 years, 20 of which she spent holding the top administrative job.

County officials released a copy of the agreement late Friday in response to a public records request by the Citizen-Times. Officials did not return requests for comment over the weekend.

More: Large bonuses, incentives inflated Buncombe County's other six-figure salaries

Greene, who is under federal criminal investigation, was one of at least 10 employees who received the retention incentive. She received the authority to implement the program through a budget ordinance county commissioners approved in 2015.

The incentives were meant to dissuade eligible employees from participating a more-popular-than-expected early retirement program. It offered the same thing as early retirement: one year salary paid over a three-year period.

County officials had initially saved more than $1.6 million, but some 170 people took early retirement. The retention incentive kept key employees, but also could save money by offering the early retirement payout at a lower salary.

But records show the incentives were not paid out over a three-year period. Instead, they began in 2016 and were paid out in full this year — and according to Sheriff Van Duncan, one of the recipients, they did not benefit their state pensions as promised.

The Sept. 2, 2016, copy of Greene's retention incentive agreement in her personnel file was described by county attorney Michael Frue as a draft. It does not have her signature, nor the signature of Curt Euler, former human resources director who now is a senior attorney.

County officials said they have no signed incentive agreement for Greene.

Greene used her discretion in deciding who received the incentive. She gave it to herself, county officials said this week, a move that would have been signed off by former commissioners board Chairman David Gantt.

The documents released late Friday came one day after officials also released detailed salary information that showed Greene made more than $500,000 in the last six months of her work.

The documents also showed hefty bonuses and other pay for some of the county's already highest-paid workers, details which had not been previously released as required by state law when requested by news media, the county said.

Commissioners this week also raised concerns about what they said was inaccurate information provided to them about a 1.5 percent pay raise they approved as part of a budget ordinance last year.

Greene, who decided how to award the raise, said she intended to give it to the lowest-paid employees, the Citizen-Times reported at the time.

Instead, 16 of the 123 workers who received a raise made more than $100,000. The list, obtained by the Citizen-Times through a public records request, show that among those who received the raise are Greene and two relatives employed by the county: her son, Michael Greene, and a sister, Irene Wolfe.

All three made more than $100,000 at the time.

Of the 123 workers who received the raise, the average salary was more than $64,000. 

Chairman Brownie Newman said in a written statement Thursday that he's directed Stone to "provide thorough and comprehensive responses to all pending information requests from the public, as soon as possible."

"As commission chair, I was disappointed to learn that pay increases were directed to the county's higher paid employees than our lowest paid county workers," Newman said. "I was also disappointed that the media and the commission were provided inaccurate information on salaries and compensation for the county manager and senior staff."

Commissioner Ellen Frost said the 1.5 percent raises were an attempt to pay all county employees a living wage.

"We were clear with that," she said. "That's just one small example of the lack of respect of our wishes, that were not carried out."

Stone will conduct a compensation study and offer recommendations for pay raises for the county's lower-paid employees, he said, "to assure there is follow up on this important concern."

The county also has overhauled its personnel ordinance, implementing policies that set a $1,000 cap on bonuses and require notification to commissioners. It has set up a hotline to allow employees to anonymously report potential violations and broadened an anti-retaliation policy.

Officials also are ending the early retirement and retention incentive programs.

Already, Stone as county manager makes nearly 13 percent less than Greene, earning a $247,110 base salary. Including a supplement she earned earlier this year as assistant manager and the payout of her remaining retention incentive, Stone stands to make $307,943 — 39 percent less than what Greene made in the six months she worked before her departure.

After information was released by the county this week, Register of Deeds Drew Reisinger said on social media this week that he was "appalled."

"This information is even more troublesome knowing that the county passed a resolution intending to give all of the lowest paid employees a raise," he said. "Instead, the majority of that money was funneled to the top earners. For the raises that were intended to go towards our lowest-earning employees to pad the pockets of the county's highest earners is an insult and a disgrace, especially in addition to other bonuses and incentives reported here."

Reisinger told followers he was "fully committed to running my office in an efficient, transparent, and trustworthy fashion that the citizens of our county expect and deserve."

The county would not say whether the documents it released are part of the federal investigation. Though details have not been disclosed, U.S. Attorney Jill Westmoreland Rose in mid-August confirmed the investigation was looking into Greene "and others."

Greene's son resigned from his $120,350-a-year county job as business intelligence manager the same day.

Wolfe, her sister, took a voluntary reassignment four days later, switching from financial services manager to accountant and taking a $30,000 pay cut. But though Wolfe's base salary dropped this year from $106,051 to $76,650, she still is expected to make $196,741 this year because she was a recipient of a retention incentive.

Thomas Amburgey, Greene's attorney, declined to comment Saturday.

Commissioners told the Citizen-Times they were committed to fully cooperating with the investigation and ramping up transparency efforts under a new county manager.

Frost said employees were fearful of speaking up during Greene's tenure.

"We have great people who work at Buncombe County, and nobody deserved that treatment," she said.

You can see Greene's unsigned retention incentive agreement here:

Who got the incentive

Former Buncombe County manager Wanda Greene and at least nine other employees received retention incentives, according to documents released this week by the county. Under the program, those who were awarded the incentive received an additional year of pay. Documents show they began to receive the incentive in 2016, with payments continuing this year. 

Here's how much employees received under the program.

Greene: $241,790.14. Agreed to stay through Dec. 31, according to an unsigned agreement.

Irene Wolfe, financial services manager/accountant, Greene's sister: $104,144.86. Agreed to stay through Oct. 25, 2019. 

Gary Roberts, retired tax director: $145,570.26. Agreed to stay through June 30.

Diane Price, budget director: $162,899. Agreed to stay through April 28.

Jon Creighton, assistant county manager: $164,042.41. Agreed to stay through June 30.

Mandy Stone, former health and human services director and assistant county manager, now county manager: $164,357.27. Agreed to stay through June 30.

Kathy Hughes, clerk to the board and public relations director: $111,261.72. Agreed to stay through June 30.

Van Duncan, sheriff: $125,224.17. Agreed to stay through Nov. 1, 2018.

Patricia Freeman, identification director: $119,461.21. Agreed to stay through May 1,  2019.

David Brigman, air quality director: $125,849.15. Agreed to stay through May 19, 2018.

Total retention incentives: $1,464,600