Maysville panel appoints new police chief as mayor abstains, citing ignored hiring committee

Mayor Deborah L. Cottrell said she would abstain from a vote to appoint a new police chief, saying the commission had "disregard" for a hiring committee's recommendations even as the body approved the appointment.

The commission passed a motion to appoint "Mister Patrick Falls" as the next chief of police for the City of Maysville, with an effective start date of March 2, 2026. The motion was moved and seconded and approved by roll call. During discussion, Mayor Cottrell said, "My intention is not to oppose Patrick Boggs as the chief of police, but I do oppose the disregard our commission has shown in arriving at this decision. We have passed a hiring committee of esteemed professional and experienced members to present an expert opinion. They were ignored." She said recommendations from within the department, former officers and community members were not given proper consideration and stated she would abstain from the vote.

The appointee addressed the commission after the vote, saying he was "humbled and honored" and that he looked forward to working with the department and the community.

What the commission voted on: a motion to appoint the named candidate as police chief, effective March 2, 2026. The transcript records the motioned name as "Patrick Falls" (motion text) while the mayor referred to the appointee as "Patrick Boggs" in her remarks; the record therefore contains two different surnames for the same appointment. The commission approved the appointment; the mayor stated she abstained. The transcript does not include a full roll-call list that ties every individual commissioner name to a recorded yes/no vote in a single compact table, but the motion was carried by the body during the meeting.

Why it matters: Police leadership changes affect department priorities, community relations and ongoing hiring and training decisions. The mayor's public abstention — coupled with specific criticism that the hiring committee's recommendations were not considered — raises questions about the internal hiring process the commission relied on for this appointment.

Next steps: The appointee's effective start date was stated as March 2, 2026. The commission did not record further action on reconsideration in this meeting.