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The Prince Edward County Board of Supervisors voted unanimously Tuesday, May 5, to extend County Administrator Wade Bartlett’s contract by three months.

His contract with the county, originally set to expire June 30, will now end Sept. 30.

“I wanted Mr. Bartlett’s contract to be extended three months in order to ensure that we have an appropriate amount of time to seek applicants for the position of county administrator,” Board Chairman and Leigh District Supervisor Jerry R. Townsend said, speaking for himself. “The extension will allow this and may even allow for him to assist in the transition process, as well. I am glad he decided to extend his contract and appreciate his dedication to the county.”

Bartlett said he agreed to the extension to help the county in the transition.

“Primarily, I did that for the workers, the other employees and my staff,” Bartlett said, “Because I knew that would put them in a poor situation if I was gone, because I’m the only one that has some of the certifications, like erosion and sediment control and stormwater, at the moment. And I’m also the one that does all the budgeting and some other items, so that would just put a heavy burden on the rest of the county staff, and I did not want to do that to them.”

He confirmed that another goal of the extension is to buy time for other staff members to earn certifications. In-person training for some certifications is suspended right now due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

By a 5-3 vote, the board voted April 14 to not renew Bartlett’s contract.

In a statement following that meeting, Townsend, who was one of the five “yes” votes, said the decision was not due to cause.

“The majority of the board believes that at this time, the county will benefit from a change in direction with new leadership,” he said.