County settles legal claims with former undersheriff

Mykol signs agreement for $125,000

by Mark Reaman

Gunnison County has reached a financial settlement with former Gunnison County undersheriff Mark Mykol, who had filed a claim against the county after he lost his job as undersheriff when a new sheriff was elected to office. The county will pay Mykol $125,000.

Mykol, who was employed under sheriff Rick Besecker, ran for the office of sheriff in 2018 and lost to current sheriff John Gallowich. When Gallowich took office last January, Mykol was terminated from the Number 2 job and Gallowich appointed former county deputy Scott Jackson to be his undersheriff instead. Mykol then filed a claim with the United States Equal Employment Opportunity Commission in Denver. Neither Mykol or the county would detail the complaint given the settlement agreement.

The agreement between Mykol and the county states that the settlement stems from the revocation of Mykol’s appointment as undersheriff on January 8, after which he filed a charge with the EEOC “based on alleged violations of his civil rights…”

The nine-page settlement was signed by Mykol on September 24, by Gallowich on September 25 and agreed to by the three Gunnison County commissioners at their meeting on Tuesday, October 1.

Mykol’s base salary as undersheriff was just over $81,000 when he left the county.

Each party is obligated to pay their own attorney fees associated with the incident and EEOC charge.

Current undersheriff Jackson had sued the county after he ran for sheriff in 2014, lost the race and was let go by Besecker. The county settled his case with a $415,000 payment that was split between the county and its insurance provider. Mykol’s settlement will come entirely out of county funds.

While it was acknowledged in the Mykol settlement agreement that the document was a public record, part of that agreement stipulated that both sides would not elaborate on the settlement.

Gallowich and county commission board chairman Jonathan Houck did not comment on the agreement. Mykol would only state, “This was a settlement of a personnel matter involving the sheriff and former undersheriff. The matter was resolved to the parties’ mutual satisfaction and the county has no and has not admitted any fault or liability in relation to this matter.”