Westmoreland supervisors ratify employment agreement and introduce James Taylor as county administrator

The Westmoreland County Board of Supervisors voted to ratify an employment agreement for the county administrator position and introduced James (Jim) Taylor as the incoming administrator. The board approved the agreement unanimously and asked Taylor to stand for a brief introduction.

Taylor, who said his formal name is James Taylor but he goes by Jim, told the board he brings 24 years of experience in Hanover County and said community engagement and customer service would be priorities under his leadership. He said he holds a bachelor’s degree in government from the College of William & Mary and a master’s degree in public administration from Virginia Commonwealth University and described himself as a credentialed manager by the International City/County Management Association.

Board members praised the candidate’s credentials during discussion before the vote, saying the hiring process had been deliberate. The chair said Taylor’s anticipated start date is Dec. 1 and expressed optimism that the administrator and interim staff would form a collaborative team to pursue a new strategic plan for the county.

The board also recognized interim county staff and thanked Donna Cogswell for her work filling the administrator role during the transition. The chair said the board intends to work with the new administrator and community stakeholders to update the county’s long-range strategic plan.

The ratification vote closed with the chair and board members voting in favor; no dissenting votes were recorded. The board scheduled a retreat for Dec. 11 at the Northern Neck Technical Center to discuss priorities and orientation with the new administrator.