The office of N.C. State Treasurer Dale Folwell issued the amount for Swain County to pay into the state retirement system on behalf of Swain Board of Elections Director Joan Weeks following the judgement in a civil lawsuit against the county.
In the Sept. 13, 2019, letter addressed to Swain County Board of Commissioners, it states the cost to purchase retirement system credit is valid until Dec. 11, 2019.
“We have received the Judgment from the Superior Court Division Ordering Swain County to purchase service credit for Joan Weeks from the North Carolina Retirement System,” the letter states. “This cost statement supersedes any previous statement that was provided. You are required to purchase the service credit below at the following cost.”
The letter states the amount of credit for 6 years is $87,779.32 plus a $25 administrative fee, for a total purchase of $87,804.32.
Weeks attended the commissioner’s September work session and spoke during public comment, asking if board members had received the letter that she said had been shared with County Manager Kevin King. The board members said they had not received it prior to her delivering copies to them during the meeting.
The county has appealed the case.
The appeal filed Aug. 12 follows a July 13 ruling by Judge Marvin Pope the county must immediately pay the benefits at the actual cost, thus the directive to the treasurer’s office to determine the cost.
The county has appealed in the ruling that finds the county must put funds into the retirement system in a sufficient amount to fund the county’s portion of Weeks’ retirement benefits for the years 1984, 1986, 1988, 1990, 1991 and 1992, with interest.
The county did not appealing the second ruling, in which the Judge denied Weeks’ efforts to be compensated for salary increases for 2015, 2016 and 2017 requested by the Board of Elections.
See the letter from the Treasurer's Office: