McGowan will leave his post Feb. 1, 2006, after nearly a decade overseeing recruiting, screening and hiring for the county's 4,000-member work force.

McGowan could not be reached for comment. But in a statement released late Friday, he said the move has nothing to do with the scrutiny of his office, including a criminal probe launched by the District Attorney's Office in April.

"I'm proud of the job I've done here and think history will bear me out," he said, adding the retirement plans have been in the works for years. He intends to help care for family members in Texas.

Mayor Peter Corroon said even though McGowan was reprimanded, including a recent five-day suspension, the retirement was not coerced.

"We didn't try to force him out. We didn't encourage him to leave," Corroon said. "He's been a steady force in the county for a decade. He just felt it was the right time to retire."

In April, an explosive audit revealed hundreds of county employees had accepted college tuition money in their regular paychecks then dropped the courses. Some quit their jobs, others took years to repay the interest-free cash, and one even left a handwritten "IOU."

Days later, a whistle-blower alleged widespread hiring abuses and "significant discrepancies" in worker time cards under McGowan, who the source said lowered standards to employ friends and family members of county employees.

Those allegations prompted Corroon to call for a criminal probe by the DA.

A second audit - released in August - noted a personnel executive who reviews résumés helped land a job for that official's wife and approved her raise. It faulted McGowan for having no "common sense" policy in writing to prevent the action. McGowan's lax reaction led to his recent suspension without pay.

Before coming to the county, McGowan spent 19 years in Utah government, including two years as director of human resources.

"You feel bad when someone who's labored that long ends up being at the center of some controversy," County Councilman Randy Horiuchi said. "It does diminish all the good he's done in the past, but public service will be losing someone of great value."

Within the next few weeks, the mayor's office will work with the Career Services Council to begin recruiting candidates for a replacement. The top three will be referred to the County Council for final selection.

Says Councilman Mark Crockett: "We should cast our net widely."

djensen@sltrib.com