Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: TUESDAY, July 31, 1990 TAG: 9007310234
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: A-4 EDITION: STATE
SOURCE: PAUL DELLINGER SOUTHWEST BUREAU
DATELINE: INDEPENDENCE LENGTH: Medium
The county Board of Supervisors voted 2-2 on the motion by Jesse Farmer to replace the Social Services Board, which fired its director of 13 years in June without public explanation.
Monday night's motion followed a joint closed session between the boards, while nearly 40 people waited outside.
Farmer and Supervisor Steve Shaffner, the board chairman, had called for the meeting with Social Services Board members Bettye-Lou Fields, Dennis Cooley and Robert Wells, who serves on both boards.
The Social Services Board, appointed about six months ago, had voted in June to dismiss Nancy Bockes as its department director. The move sparked protests from employees in the department.
Farmer's motion was to name James A. Carrico, Caraell Diamond and Shaffner to replace Fields, Cooley and Wells.
Shaffner tried to rule Wells' negative vote out of order, but County Attorney Paul X. Bolt - who had called the state attorney general's office earlier Monday in anticipation of the action - said it was an assistant's opinion that Wells could vote on his own removal from another board.
Shaffner said he wanted a request made for an official opinion from the attorney general. Meanwhile, he said, the joint meeting "hasn't settled anything," he said.
Joining Wells in opposing the motion was Supervisor Rebecca Dickenson, who said the supervisors needed to support the agency members they appoint.
Joe Tate, hired as the Social Services Board's attorney for this case, said he and Bockes' attorney are trying to agree on a timetable for Bockes to legally protest her firing. Bockes did not attend the special joint meeting.
by CNB