Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Personnel Action topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
York County commissioners vote to terminate County Attorney John Lyons
Summary
The York County Board of Commissioners voted to terminate County Attorney John Lyons effective immediately after the U.S. federal court vacated an injunction tied to earlier proceedings; the board cited a Clay County contract and a county resolution requiring the county attorney to serve full time.
The York County Board of Commissioners voted to terminate the employment of County Attorney John Lyons effective immediately, the board chair announced after a roll-call vote.
The chair read a prepared statement outlining the timeline leading to the vote, including a hearing notice issued on 08/25/2021, a postponed hearing originally scheduled for 09/07/2021, and a later hearing on 09/15/2021. The statement said Lyons had signed a contract with Clay County on 07/28/2021 to serve as interim county attorney there, which the board interprets as inconsistent with a prior expectation — and a county resolution (17-45) — that the York County attorney devote full time to county work with no private practice except as authorized by the board.
The chair also said a federal court injunction had previously paused board action; that injunction was vacated and the federal court dismissed Lyons’ claims on 05/27/2022, the statement said, removing the legal barrier to a vote. A commissioner moved to terminate Lyons; the motion was seconded and a roll-call vote resulted in affirmative responses and the chair declared the motion carried.
Commissioners said Seward County had indicated it could temporarily assist with legal duties while York County fills the gap. The board gave no timetable at the meeting for recruiting or appointing a successor, and no further disciplinary detail was read into the record beyond what was contained in the chair's statement.
The board returned to regular business after the vote.
