Longtime county CFO resigned in Dec., got nearly $69,000 settlement

Sedgwick County’s chief financial officer of nearly 18 years resigned in December, county records show.

Chris Chronis signed a settlement agreement to resign effective Dec. 15, 2016. He had led the county’s finance department as the chief financial officer since 1999. County Manager Michael Scholes signed Chronis’ resignation agreement as the employer.

“It became clear to me that the manager and deputy manager wanted a different CFO, and they certainly had the right,” Chronis said Monday.

The county’s finance department lost more than $566,000 to fraudulent activity last fall. A Georgia man was charged with wire fraud in an e-mail phishing scam that caused the loss.

“I was at the top of that food chain, so that’s pretty natural,” Chronis said of responsibility for the fraud loss.

Sedgwick County, as Chronis’ employer, agreed to pay Chronis up to $68,860.09 as part of the settlement.

Chronis would receive four months of pay from Dec. 16 to April 15 worth about $48,403 under the agreement. Another $16,884 was for 240 hours of severance pay.

The county also agreed to pay Chronis an additional $3,573, although it’s unclear what for – the county redacted that part of the agreement, citing an exemption in the Kansas Open Records Act.

Those payments were minus appropriate witholdings “in consideration for his release.”

The county’s budget director, Lindsay Poe Rousseau, was named the interim chief financial officer on Dec. 15, the same day that Chronis’ resignation was effective.

She was named the permanent CFO on Feb. 15.

“Her extensive experience within the budget office, knowledge, skills and work ethic made her the optimal candidate for this position,” according to a county news release.

Poe Rousseau began working for the county in 2010.

The position will pay $141,218 in salary and benefits from Feb. 15 to Dec. 31, according to county documents.

Chronis began working as Sedgwick County’s CFO in January 1999. His previous job was the same position with the consolidated government of Columbus, Ga.

He said he is not looking for work elsewhere and is retired.

This story was originally published March 20, 2017 at 5:14 PM with the headline "Longtime county CFO resigned in Dec., got nearly $69,000 settlement."