Supervisors give county administrator limited authority to sign contracts up to $100,000

Rockbridge County supervisors voted Feb. 23 to delegate limited contract‑signing authority to the county administrator, setting the ceiling at $100,000 and requiring written notification to the board for contracts between $50,000 and $100,000. The resolution includes safeguards such as legal review, finance certification, procurement compliance and quarterly reporting of delegated contracts.

County attorney and staff framed the resolution as a way to streamline routine, budgeted contracts while preserving board oversight for higher‑risk or higher‑value agreements. Examples discussed included a required video‑monitoring service tied to courthouse elevator work and YMCA membership paperwork; staff said the dollar threshold is applied to the aggregate contract value over its life.

Board members debated thresholds, alignment with the county’s procurement policy, and annual re‑adoption to ensure incoming administrators have the delegation reviewed. After discussion, the board adopted the resolution with the parameters that the county administrator may sign contracts up to $100,000, that contracts between $50,000 and $100,000 trigger advance notification to supervisors, and that the resolution be re‑adopted annually at the organizational meeting.