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Warren County board accepts county administrator’s resignation after closed-session meeting; member urges transparency over $113,000 severance
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Summary
At a Jan. 28 special meeting, the Warren County Board of Supervisors voted to hold a closed session under the Virginia FOIA personnel exemption, subsequently certified the session, accepted the county administrator’s resignation and adjourned. An unidentified board member publicly questioned a $113,000 severance and a $34,500 recruitment cost.
The Warren County Board of Supervisors voted Jan. 28 to hold a closed session under the personnel exemption of the Virginia Freedom of Information Act to discuss the resignation and employment of the county administrator, then certified the closed session and accepted the administrator’s resignation.
An unidentified board member asked to speak before the motion, saying the public "deserves to know why we're spending a $113,000 in severance after firing hire after hiring this administrator just 4 months ago through a professional search that took 5 months and cost $34,500," and urged that the circumstances, justification for the expense and the replacement plan be discussed in open session rather than behind closed doors. The speaker framed these points as matters of public accountability.
A board member moved that the board enter a closed meeting under Section 2.2-3711(A)(1) of the Virginia Freedom of Information Act for "discussion and consideration of the employment or resignation of [the] county administrator and the discussion of prospective candidates for the position," and the motion was seconded. The chair conducted a roll-call vote; members present answered "Aye," and the board entered the closed session.
After the closed session, the board read and adopted a certification stating that, to the best of each member’s knowledge, only public business lawfully exempted from open meeting requirements under Section 2.2-3711(A)(1) of the Virginia FOIA and only such matters identified in the motion had been discussed and considered. The certification motion was seconded and approved by roll-call vote.
Following that certification, the chair announced, "So mister Gottshaw has tendered his resignation, which we have accepted, and we wish him well in his, future endeavors." The board then moved to adjourn and ended the special meeting.
The meeting record shows no public comment period, and the board did not provide further details at the meeting about any severance agreement, the terms of the administrator’s departure, or an interim staffing plan. The unidentified board member asked that those financial and staffing questions be addressed in open session; the board proceeded with the closed-session process and the subsequent certification required under state law.
Next steps were not specified on the record. The board’s action items recorded in the meeting consist of the motion and vote to enter closed session under the FOIA personnel exemption, the post-session certification that only exempted matters were discussed, acceptance of the administrator’s resignation, and adjournment.
