Botetourt County is beginning a process to evaluate its future legal representation as County Attorney Mike Lockaby transitions his legal practice away from general county government work.
Lockaby is a member of Spilman Thomas & Battle PLLC, which has provided legal services to the county. Spilman identifies Lockaby as a member of its Local Government & Public Entity practice and lists his role as Botetourt County attorney.
At the Sept. 22 meeting of the Botetourt County Board of Supervisors, Deputy County Administrator David Moorman said Lockaby is transitioning his county work and has been working with another attorney at the firm to ensure continuity on ongoing matters. Rob Hubbard of Spilman Thomas & Battle will assist during the transition.
The county is also considering whether it should continue using outside counsel or establish an in-house county attorney position.
Moorman told the board that Lockaby had suggested the county’s legal workload could potentially justify an in-house attorney and that such an arrangement could be more economical. The county has not made a decision between the two options.
Instead, staff plans to solicit proposals from firms that can assist with evaluating the county’s legal needs and its options for future representation. The county’s agenda states that staff intends to solicit written quotes from qualified firms to conduct a professional search for the county’s next attorney, with a summary of responses and a recommendation expected to come before the board.
During the meeting, board members also discussed the potential salary range for an in-house attorney. Moorman gave an informal estimate of approximately $130,000 to $200,000 annually, depending on experience.
The county’s communications manager said Lockaby has already begun transitioning county work and will remain a resource as the board considers whether to hire an in-house attorney or continue with an outside firm.
The consultant will be asked to evaluate both options, including the county’s legal needs and its current outside-counsel arrangement. The board will ultimately consider the financial and operational implications of the alternatives, according to the county.
No specific timeline has been established for the request for proposals, Watts said.
The transition comes as the county is also experiencing turnover among several other longtime members of its leadership. Deputy County Administrator David Moorman is scheduled to leave at the end of the year after more than 30 years with the county, while Community Development Director Nicole Pendleton is leaving Sept. 30 after leading the department since 2014. Fire and EMS Chief Jason Ferguson also left the county this summer after 25 years to become fire chief in Bedford County.
Those departures involve different positions and circumstances, but together represent a period of change among several of the county’s longtime leadership personnel.
~ Fincastle Herald staff report
