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Lunenburg County adopts ordinance allowing recovery of emergency-response costs from convicted drivers
Summary
The Lunenburg County Board of Supervisors unanimously adopted Sec. 73-4, permitting the county and volunteer fire/rescue squads to seek up to $1,000 in reimbursement for reasonable emergency-response expenses from persons convicted of specified offenses; the ordinance allows a $350 flat fee or itemized billing.
Lunenburg County on Dec. 14 adopted an ordinance authorizing the county and volunteer fire and rescue squads to seek restitution from people convicted of certain offenses to cover reasonable emergency-response costs.
County Attorney Frank Rennie presented the measure, Sec. 73-4, explaining the provision would allow the county to recover expenses incurred for law enforcement, firefighting, rescue and emergency medical services when such services respond to incidents tied to violations including specified DUI and impaired-driving statutes, reckless driving, driving without a license or with a suspended license, and leaving the scene of an accident. The ordinance caps personal liability at $1,000 per incident and permits either a flat $350 fee or minute-by-minute accounting to determine "reasonable expenses." Rennie also said the county or volunteer squads may pursue unpaid amounts in a separate civil action.
The board voted unanimously to adopt Sec. 73-4 and an accompanying resolution. Supervisor T. Wayne Hoover moved for adoption; Supervisor Edward Pennington seconded the motion.
The ordinance includes language that it does not preempt other remedies available to the Commonwealth, the county, or volunteer rescue squads and does not limit volunteer squads from charging fees such as patient transport. Board members asked no follow-up questions during the hearing and no public opposition was recorded.
The ordinance will be recorded in county code and administered by the county attorney and relevant response agencies; the board also adopted a resolution related to the county's existing vehicle exhaust/noise ordinance (Sec. 73-3) during the same action. The county did not specify an implementation timeline beyond standard administrative processing.
