Request By:
Mr. James S. Secrest
Allen County Attorney
Box 35
Scottsville, Kentucky 42164
Opinion
Opinion By: Robert F. Stephens, Attorney General; By: Charles W. Runyan, Assistant Deputy Attorney General
Allen County has employed a director to be in charge of a county operated ambulance service. The county judge/executive desires to enter an executive order delegating to the director the full authority to hire and fire the personnel of the ambulance service. You advised him that under KRS 67.710 he could not delegate such authority to the director.
Since the personnel of the county ambulance service are county personnel [see KRS 67.083(3)(d)], KRS 67.710(7) governs. As you say that statute requires the county judge/executive to nominate county personnel to be hired or fired, subject to the rejection or approval of such nomination by the fiscal court acting as a body.
There is no statutory authority for the county judge/executive to delegate the hiring and firing of such personnel. The literal language of KRS 67.710(7) and the ordinary meaning expressed therein must be observed.