Kelly Cox has been the county’s administrative officer for 31 years, guiding the county on a careful fiscal course that’s kept it out of debt and helped it avoid the kinds of layoffs and fiscal turmoil other counties have experienced over the last several years.
But Cox has decided it’s time to retire, and said he will do so effective at the end of business on Friday, March 16.
“Out of respect for you, I won’t try to talk you out of it,” Board Chair Rob Brown told Cox at the Tuesday meeting, adding he already had tried unsuccessfully to change Cox’s mind.
Brown said he’s never had a tougher decision in his three terms on the board.
“It’s a very difficult decision for me after all this time,” replied Cox.
But Cox – who at age 56 has worked for the county for more than half his lifetime – said he feels the time is right, and he hopes to become one of the county’s top volunteers.
Along with the memorandum outlining his decision to retire, Cox offered the supervisors a copy of his job description to consider as they prepare to begin the recruitment process. He said he believes they will receive a lot of applications.
Brown said he believed the county should hold an open recruitment for the job. Cox said he can continue to help the county if the recruitment isn’t complete by March 16.
“No one will be able to fill his shoes. I think we have to acknowledge that,” said Supervisor Denise Rushing.
She said the job description didn’t come close to describing everything Cox does. She wanted integrity and character, leadership and teamwork qualities to be added to the description.
“You don't want a county administrator to come in and like the trappings of the office and not the actual job,” she said.
The county’s current strategic plan is in Cox’s head, and Rushing suggested the county needed to get it down on paper. Cox, she added, knows how much the board cares about a structurally balanced budget with no general fund debt, which she wanted made clear to his successor.
Pointing out that Cox has cut his own staff substantially, Rushing suggested that the County Administrative Office staff may need to be beefed in preparation of choosing a new administrative officer.
“It's really difficult to even comprehend where we are at this time,” she said.
Like Brown, Supervisor Jeff Smith acknowledged Cox’s retirement as one of the toughest things to happen to the county during his tenure, noting how much the board has leaned on Cox and his knowledge.
“Kelly, you're appreciated far more than anybody can express, and it is really tough to see you go,” said Smith.
Supervisor Anthony Farrington said accepting Cox’s retirement was a difficult decision, but the board needed to honor Cox’s desire. He said he was glad the board supported pursuing an open recruitment.
Farrington suggested bringing in an interim administrator, which could give them the time needed to find the right person to succeed Cox.
Supervisor Jim Comstock offered his own thanks to Cox for his service to the county, saying it had been a pleasure to learn from him.
Cox said he hoped the supervisors would find someone they liked so well that they would wish he had retired years ago.
“I just feel I need to do this,” he said.
Farrington said Cox has held his compensation level low for some time, and suggested the board needed to have a serious dialog on what a realistic pay level should be, as he said Cox has been underpaid.
The county administrative officer’s salary range is between $101,879 and $123,835, according to county records.
The county allows for small percentage increases above the maximum salary step for longtime employees; figures available on the State Controller’s Office Web site show that for 2010 Cox’s wages totaled $143,021, with a retirement package of 2 percent at age 55.
Cox told the board that he doesn’t think the salary range will deter interested candidates from applying.
Smith moved to accept Cox’s resignation memo, which the board approved 5-0.
The board then directed Cox to notify the Human Resources Department to begin an open recruitment.
Read Cox’s full memo, which includes his reflections on his three decades as a county employee, below.
E-mail Elizabeth Larson at
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