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HALIFAX COUNTY, Va. (WSET) — The Halifax County Board appointed a temporary finance director for the county after the previous director stepped down following comments made by a board of supervisors member on a podcast.
Dr. Karen Bucklew, currently the Halifax County Schools finance director, has been appointed as the temporary finance director for the county. Vice Chairman Robbie Smart made the motion. As a part of it, he also asked if the county administrator would start working with the Virginia Municipalities League to find a permanent finance director.
This temporary position follows the resignation of the previous director, Tomeka Morgan, who stepped down following comments made by Vice Chairman Robbie Smart on a podcast.
Previously, the board had appointed Morgan as both interim county administrator and interim finance director, paying her $25,500 monthly for 16 hours of work. In a podcast, Smart commented on this, saying, “She wouldn’t go any lower. It was either that or nothing, and we tried to get somebody else, but nobody would come here.”
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On Monday, the board voted 5-2 to collaborate with the Virginia Municipalities League to find a permanent finance director. In the interim, Dr. Bucklew will work with the county administrator to prepare a budget.
Concerns have been raised about a potential conflict of interest, as Dr. Bucklew will be responsible for managing both the school and county budgets. ABC13’s Hayden Robertson chased down Board Chairman Larry Roller following the meeting.
“You all declared an emergency response to find a finance director as well as to let Dr. Bucklew, who works for the county schools, fill in right now to help you with your budget; do you believe that there is a conflict of interest there to have someone who works in the schools’ finances also do the county’s finances with your budget,” Robertson asked.
“Well, they are building a budget, putting revenues together, estimating expenses, it’s just numbers,” Roller replied.
“Are you concerned about any possible mistakes, though, since she’s having to build not one but two budgets for the schools and for you all as a county; that’s two very different money-making organizations,” Robertson said.
“Well, she’s building the budget by what departments request, and a lot of that is based on what’s been done in the past, so she should be able to build the budget,” Chairman Roller replied. “We need somebody here to work on this budget and build it.”
Roller also told ABC13 that new tax rates have to be set up in April and sent out to families in the area, which is why they need someone to get to work right now. Roller said the entire board has faith in Dr. Bucklew and will be there every step of the way to ensure they get a budget passed.
Supervisors Keith McDowell and W. Bryant Claiborne were the only two to vote against the motion.