LIVERMORE FALLS – Town Manager Alan Gove, who was reached at his Mercer home, declined Wednesday to say why he hasn’t been at work since early August. He did say he didn’t know how long he would be on leave.

Selectman Chairman Bill Demaray and Gove both said that the manager is on personal leave and being paid for it.

“I wish I could tell you more, but at this stage I can’t,” Gove said.

Demaray said he couldn’t discuss the town manager’s personal leave.

Gove was on vacation the week of Aug. 4, and he has been on paid personal leave since Aug. 11.

A review of Gove’s contract, which runs through June 30, 2005, doesn’t indicate a clause covering paid personal leave.

It does include personal sick leave, which is accrued at a rate of one day per month worked, cumulative to 90 days. And it allows for 10 days per fiscal year of vacation. The agreement also allows for compensatory time, which would be usable after conferring with selectmen.

Gove started working for the town in January 2002.

The employment agreement calls for Gove to be paid $850 a week from July 1, 2002, through June 30, 2003. Additional information on what Gove was to be paid from July 1, 2003, through June 30, 2005 was unavailable Wednesday.

Selectmen voted on Jan. 21 of this year to extend Gove’s March 4, 2002, employment agreement to the end of the fiscal year 2005.

The agreement also calls for the town to pay Gove $250 a month for automobile and expense allowance through the contract.

dperry@sunjournal.com

Copy the Story Link