Berkeley County civil service commission reopens applications, schedules June 13 open-entry test and approves legal retainer

At its April 15 meeting the Berkeley County Deputy Sheriff Civil Service Commission voted to reopen the continuous online application process to address current and anticipated deputy-sheriff vacancies and set the second open-entry physical test of 2026 for Saturday, June 13, 2026, at 8:00 a.m., with the facility confirmed at Martinsburg High School.

Commissioner D. Scott Wilson moved to reopen continuous online applications; the motion carried unanimously. John H. Alderton provided logistical details and noted prior applicant withdrawals had depleted the eligible list, prompting the action.

The Commission also approved a supplemental legal retainer of $1,000 for counsel (Mr. Patrick Henry) to cover outstanding legal work; the record notes a $550 invoice received April 6 had exhausted a prior retainer balance. Commissioners voted unanimously on the retainer.

Separately, the Commission struck Christopher Kittelstad from the eligibility list after he failed to respond in writing to a certified notice and did not request a hearing. The Commission recorded that failure to respond constituted a waiver of hearing rights and authorized removal from the list by voice vote.

Commissioner Wilson raised a records issue from the floor, noting about 17 discrepancies between Sheriff's Office and County Commission hire-date records that could affect promotional eligibility. He requested county staff and the Sheriff's Office reconcile hire-date records; Alderton assigned the item an issue number for tracking.

The meeting adjourned after routine announcements; the Commission scheduled its next meeting for 5:00 p.m. Wednesday, May 20, 2026, subject to chamber availability.