Friedman v. Armstrong

Summary

The Kentucky Supreme Court held that final authority to remove Jefferson County Correctional Department employees rested with the Jefferson County Judge-Executive, subject to approval by the Jefferson County Fiscal Court, rather than with the Jefferson County Merit Board. The court affirmed the Court of Appeals, concluding that the applicable county ordinance, merit-board rules, and statutes did not give the Merit Board final removal authority.

Holdings

1. Final authority to remove employees covered by the Jefferson County Merit Board rests with the Jefferson County Judge-Executive, subject to approval by the Jefferson County Fiscal Court.
2. KRS 67B.060 did not give the Jefferson County Merit Board final authority to dismiss Friedman because any merit system created specifically for the correctional services department ceased to have effect when the prior correctional-services merit personnel board was dissolved.

Questions Presented

1. Whether the Jefferson County Merit Board or the Jefferson County Judge-Executive, subject to approval by the Jefferson County Fiscal Court, possessed final authority to remove Jefferson County Correctional Department employees.
2. Whether KRS 67B.050 and KRS 67B.060 vested final dismissal authority in the Merit Board despite the dissolution of the prior correctional-services merit personnel board.

Disposition

affirmed