Robert Lowery Jr. heads to Washington for new job
Lowery
Robert Lowery Jr., who resigned a month ago as O’Fallon, Mo., city administrator after months of political turmoil, is moving to the Washington, D.C, area to take a new job with the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children.
Lowery said today he will be the executive director of the center’s missing children division and work out of the organization’s Alexandria, Va., headquarters, beginning in mid-August.
Lowery, a former longtime Florissant police officer, has been on the center’s board of advisers since 2002. Before becoming O’Fallon city administrator in 2005, he headed the Major Case Squad of Greater St. Louis and was assistant police chief in Florissant.
He also was in the running to become St. Charles police chief a few years ago. His father is Florissant’s mayor.
Lowery said his new job would not affect the buyout and consulting agreement he negotiated with O’Fallon before his resignation. His payout under the agreement could reach $176,000. Lowery would not disclose his salary with his new employer.
Under Lowery’s agreement with O’Fallon, he will act as an adviser to the city until Oct. 15, 2010, and be paid until Jan. 15 at the rate of his city administrator’s annual salary.
He also will get about $54,000 in compensation for 806 hours of unused vacation, holidays, sick days and other time off owed between his hiring by the city in 2005 and Jan. 15 of next year.
He also got a signing bonus of $10,828 and deferred compensation next year of $34,172.
Under the agreement, Lowery promised not to sue the city. The buyout deal occurred just months after the City Council suspended Lowery with pay and hired lawyers to investigate allegations of wrongdoing against Lowery. He was reinstated Feb. 26 after a month on paid leave; the inquiry uncovered no improper activity.
When Lowery announced his resignation last month, he cited differences with newly-elected Mayor Bill Hennessy over the city’s future but didn’t elaborate. His resignation came as no surprise since Hennessy in his campaign had promised to replace Lowery.
In a statement at the time, Lowery said he recognized that Hennessy should have the right to pick an administrator who shares his views.
The only thing worse than a golden parachute is a golden parachute for a public official.
I’m tired of the salacious reporting on this “buy-out”. Every story quotes the $176,000 because it’s a stunning number. But then all they detail is the $99,000, and never talk about how they get from $99,000 to $176,000. In addition, they never mention that the $54,000 in compensation is mandated by City policy. So basically his “Golden Parachute” is $45,000. As I see it this was basically a payment to go away. If he would file a law suit, justified or not, the City would eat up $45,000 in legal fees in no time at $200 an hour. It sounds like well spent money to me.
Oh yeah, as for the other $77,000. I called City Hall and asked about it, since the reporters don’t want to do that. They said that the rest would be IF he is used as a consultant over the next year… “and that won’t happen, especially with his new job”.
I wish Bob the best but I for one am glad he is gone. Not only from O’Fallon but from the St. Louis area.
Now we just need to make sure Hennessy doesn’t bring back all his old friends and start selling off the City again.
Does this mean we won’t be seeing Lowery’s fulsome mug in those
Lou Fusz Chrysler Jeep Dodge TV commercials anymore?
http://washingtonrebel.typepad.com/.a/6a00d835349ad569e201157255171e970b-800wi