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Patrick County supervisors debate residency requirement for emergency services coordinator; resolution fails 3-2
Summary
Supervisors discussed whether the county's emergency services coordinator must live inside Patrick County, citing concerns over response times, applicant pool size and administrative oversight. The board voted 3-2 against imposing a residency requirement.
Board members discussed a proposed resolution to require residency within Patrick County for the county's emergency services coordinator. Proponents argued the coordinator should be located close enough to respond during county-level incidents; opponents raised concerns that a strict residency requirement could limit the applicant pool and that proximity, rather than county residency, should be weighed during hiring and interviews.
During discussion supervisors noted that the job will be primarily administrative and that the emergency services coordinator would not necessarily be expected to run front-line responses, though the role may be on call. Some supervisors said interview panels and hiring decisions can address concerns about availability and distance.
When brought to a vote, the resolution failed. The roll call was Marshall: no; Kendrick: yes; Perry: no; Overby: yes; Chair: no. The chair announced the motion did not carry, so the coordinator is not required to live in Patrick County.
The board did not adopt any alternate restrictions or travel-time minimums during that meeting; staff and supervisors indicated hiring criteria and candidate qualifications would be considered at the time of recruitment.
