Culpeper County supervisors move into closed session to interview candidates for county administration office

The Culpeper County Board of Supervisors held a special called meeting at 2 p.m. on July 14 and voted to go into a closed session to interview prospective candidates for the county administration office.

At the meeting the vice chair moved "that we enter into closed meeting as permitted by the Virginia Freedom of Information Act for the following purposes, discussion, consideration, or interviews of prospective candidates for employment, specifically related to the Culpeper County administration office as authorized by 2.2-37 11 a 1," and the chair seconded the motion. The chair called for a voice vote; members signified their approval by saying "aye," and the board entered closed session.

After the closed session, the chair conducted a certification under the Virginia Freedom of Information Act requiring members to confirm that only matters exempted by law and identified in the motion were discussed. The transcript records affirmative "yes" responses when the chair called Supervisor Brown, Supervisor Parrish, Supervisor Lee, Chairman Underwood and Vice Chairman Neziel. The transcript does not clearly record responses for Supervisor Payne and Supervisor Bates.

The board took no additional public action at the July 14 meeting; a motion to adjourn was made and the chair declared the meeting adjourned.

The board cited the Virginia Freedom of Information Act (Va. Code §2.2-3711(A)(1)) as the basis for closing the meeting; that statute permits closed sessions for interviews and discussions of prospective candidates for public employment. The transcript does not include names of candidates, employment offers, or any votes on a hiring decision.