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Cumberland County commissioners restore chair emergency authority, add ratification language
Summary
After debate over checks and balances and staff authority, the Cumberland County Board of Commissioners unanimously adopted amendments to section 5-9 of the county's Emergency Management Ordinance to return emergency-declaration authority to the chair and require prompt board ratification.
The Cumberland County Board of Commissioners unanimously adopted amendments to section 5-9 of the county's Emergency Management Ordinance that restore authority for the board chair to declare a state of emergency when the board cannot be convened quickly.
County Attorney Rick Moorefield told the board the changes were drafted to "return the authority to the chair to declare a state of emergency" in situations where a meeting cannot be held quickly, and explained why the item had returned to the board for a second reading.
Commissioner Adams said he supported returning authority to the chair but pressed for safeguards. "I do agree with the fact that emergencies come up in the chair's office," Adams said, "but I do think that there ought to be some checks and…
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