Beware All Ye That Enter Here
Residents of Prince William County were told to tune in at 3:00 pm during the BOCS meeting for the long awaited announcement of our new County Executive Officer. Chairman Stewart planned on interrupting the regularly scheduled meeting for this announcement.
No announcement was made. In fact, we are now being told the announcement will be made in 2 weeks at the next BOCS Meeting scheduled for February 2. The reason given was that Supervisor John Stirrup would not be in attendance.
And the real reason is? I thought Supervisor’s absence had been announced the week before. Furthermore, why does John Stirrup have to be present for the announcement of the new CEO? The postponement was just bad business. If the Chairman said an announcement was to be made, then it should have been made. Postponing the announcement just gives rise to rumor and it steals everyone’s thunder, especially the person being hired for the position.
Someone either dropped the ball or is trying to pull something slick. Considering some of the players, there is no telling. Why would such an announcement be made and then retracted?
I see Patty wants to blame upper level management for everything, including the filmmakers access to their own county government. She should have sicced neighborhood watch on them. That will teach them for filming our chief of police! Those gol-darn filmmakers! Gosh Darn It.
I think we need to go back to the question of process and why the announcement was postponed. We haven’t come across a person yet who has satisfied, to my satisfaction, how the process works, much less why we the citizens of PWC are in limbo.
I am beginning to think that we are being duped. Why did Corey announce an announcement and not deliver? How is a CXO selected, who votes, where and when. Perhaps the county chair would consider posting to explain the process. It has been so long since we have had a CXO no one remembers.
Lets make it simple
1. PWC runs a “help wanted” ad in the various government publications
2. Resumes and applicants are intially vetted, probably by a subcommittee of the BOCS.staff
3. Interviews are held
4. Applicants are discussed in executive session
5. Some concensus is reached during executive session
6. During a subsequent public meeting someone moves the nomination and the appointment is voted on.
Its the only way it can be done (under statute).
And the voting took place when? Date?
@Moon-howler
Voting will take place at week’s BoS meeting, provided all of our supervisors decide to show up.
So it was a vote that needed to be taken rather than an announcement as we read in the paper?
Will that be done in executive session or out in front of God and everyone?
Sounds like a fast one is being pulled to me.
Why do all need to be there? We could postpone it forever if each week one decided to not show up.
1. Vote has to be in public session, no other choice.
2. Why delay, and why the need for all to be present? As I and others have presumed, it would appear that it is to put Stirrup equally on the hook with everyone else for the appointment. In such circumstance typically once a majority are in found to be in agreement in executive session, the vote goes forward and usually is a unanimous vote to make everybody feel good, even if some of those voting in favor would rather have a root canal than vote for the candidate. I say usually because if in some instances people have the stones to vote in opposition just to show how displeased they are.
Ordinarily the latter probably wouldn’t occur with our BOCS, courtesy and all that, but if I were a member and had reason to believe half of what has been posted I would be screaming Nay from my seat.
There is actually one other possible reason for the fun and games. As I noted in another thread, as the announcement was not part of the published agenda, adding it to the proceedings likely would have been done through a suspension of the rules, a window that would have allowed certain supervisors to also add Avendale to the agenda. Given that Stirrup was gone and I always had this pegged at a 4-4 vote, it would have allowed, Corey, Wally, Marty and Jenkins to prevail 4-3.
Which statute?
BOTH
§ 2.2-3710. Transaction of public business other than by votes at meetings prohibited.
A. Unless otherwise specifically provided by law, no vote of any kind of the membership, or any part thereof, of any public body shall be taken to authorize the transaction of any public business, other than a vote taken at a meeting conducted in accordance with the provisions of this chapter. No public body shall vote by secret or written ballot, and unless expressly provided by this chapter, no public body shall vote by telephone or other electronic communication means.
AND
§ 15.2-509. County executive appointed by board.
The board shall appoint a county executive and fix his compensation. He shall devote his full time to the work of the county. He shall be appointed with regard to merit only, and need not be a resident of the county at the time of his appointment. No board member shall, during the time for which he has been elected, be chosen county executive, nor shall such powers be given to a person who at the same time is filling an elective office. The head of one of the departments of county government may, however, also be appointed county executive.
Bob, You are always welcome.
In general–
We don’t have a dog in this fight. We have readers and contributors who have strong feelings, both pro and con, about various individuals who might be considered for the position of CXO. Then others have no feelings. Therefore we decided we really wanted to maintain a neutral stance on this issue on the blog.
Sometimes it is best to live to fight another day. Unfortunately, from the cut and pastes people have sent me, some on the dark side want to second guess us. Please feel free to cut and paste the Declaration of Neutrality.
Vulture, I don’t think she likes Eric. She called the cops on him while he was filming, thus wasting precious county resources. It gets sort of OCD. You ought to see the film footage from July 4. 🙄
I have no idea what it has to do with who the new CXO will be.
I have strong feelings about anyone who makes personal attacks on a person look and sound like it’s in the best interest of everyone. I don’t care who it is. Now it looks like everyone is backing off the tapes and a successful legal approach and the solution is to not hire the evil woman.
What has all that got to do with budget cutting, lowering taxes and idendifying the proper level of services to the community with the proper level of taxation? We do have a dog in this fight – someone that knows what to do and how to do it with regard to Prince William County. Not villifying someone who ticked you off. Very few people with great authority have a large fan following.
Juturna makes my point. Not everyone feels the same way.