City will pay former administrator Cox for unused sick leave

    HARLAN -- The City of Harlan will pay former city administrator Terry Cox $19,388.08 for unused sick leave and an additional $2,120 in attorney fees.
    The Harlan City Council approved the settlement last Tuesday and authorized Harlan Mayor Kate Kohorst to sign the agreement.
    Kohorst explained that the city had received a letter threatening litigation in regard to the payment of Cox’s unused sick leave.
    “We proceeded to meet with counsel and to discuss what the issue might be related to that, and the cost of defense of that proposed litigation and the likelihood that we might not be able to be successful in that litigation because of specific language in the Iowa Code that requires employers to pay for sick leave,” Kohorst said.