{"data":{"id":"us-ky/krs-70.260","jurisdiction":"us-ky","citation":"KRS 70.260","heading":"Option for county to create deputy sheriff merit board -- Expenses --","body":"Membership -- Meetings -- Exclusion of certain deputy sheriffs who serve in\npolicy-making positions.\n(1) The primary legislative body of each county may enact an ordinance creating a\ndeputy sheriff merit board, which shall be charged with the duty of holding\nhearings, public and executive, in disciplinary matters concerning deputy sheriffs.\nFor the purpose of KRS 70.260 to 70.273, the primary legislative body of each\ncounty that does not have an urban -county, consolidated local government, or\ncharter county government shall be the fiscal court.\n(2) The reasonable and necessary expenses of the board, including the funds necessary\nto retain an attorney to advise the board on legal matter s, shall be paid out of the\nfees and commissions collected by the sheriff. If the fees and commissions are not\nsufficient to pay the expenses of the board and the other expenses authorized by\nstatute to be paid from these fees and commissions, the sheriff may negotiate with\nthe primary legislative body to determine a method of paying all or part of the\nexpenses of the board.\n(3) The board shall consist of five (5) members, two (2) members appointed by the\ncounty judge/executive or the chief executive office r of an urban -county\ngovernment or the chief executive officer of a consolidated local government\npursuant to the provisions of KRS 67C.139 with approval by the primary legislative\nbody, two (2) members appointed by the county sheriff, and one (1) member elected\nby the deputy sheriffs of the county. Each board appointee shall be at least thirty\n(30) years of age and a resident of the county. No person shall serve on the board\nwho is a deputy sheriff or who holds any elected public office. No person shall be\nappointed to the board who is a member of the immediate family of the sheriff of\nthe county served by the board. The members of the board shall not receive a salary\nbut shall receive reimbursement for necessary expenses.\n(4) All appointments shall be for two (2) years, and any vacancies shall be filled by the\nsheriff or county judge/executive, or the chief executive officer of an urban -county\ngovernment or consolidated local government responsible for the appointment of\nthe departing board member.\n(5) The board shall elect a chairman from its membership and keep an accurate record\nof its proceedings.\n(6) The board shall meet when a disciplinary matter concerning a deputy sheriff is\nbrought to its attention or at other times at the discretion of the board, u pon\nnotification of its members.\n(7) Three (3) members shall constitute a quorum in all matters which may come before\nthe board.\n(8) For the purpose of this section, \"member of the immediate family\" means a person's\nfather, mother, brother, sister, spouse,  son, daughter, aunt, uncle, son -in-law, or\ndaughter-in-law.\n(9) An ordinance, adopted under subsection (1) of this section by a county or\nconsolidated local government, may exclude deputy sheriffs who serve in policy -\nmaking or confidential positions from coverage by the merit system. If the\nordinance makes this exclusion, a deputy sheriff who is covered by the merit system\nand who accepts an appointment in a policy-making or confidential position shall be\ndeemed to have received a leave of absence from the  merit system during the\nincumbency of that position. If he ceases to serve in a policy-making or confidential\nposition but continues to serve as a deputy, he shall be restored to coverage at the\nsame classification and rank that he held prior to his polic y-making position under\nthe merit system. A deputy who is not covered by the merit system at the time he is\nappointed to a policy-making or confidential position shall be deemed not to be part\nof the merit system and shall not be included in the merit syst em when he ceases to\nserve in that position.","path":["KRS Chapter 70"],"source_url":"https://apps.legislature.ky.gov/law/statutes/statute.aspx?id=24216","current_through":"Includes enactments through the 2026 Regular Session","vintage":"09/05/2026","retrieved_at":"2026-09-05T20:49:32Z","sha256":"aaf8262c0c113cfd4099834cc9dd5515c40aaad2808ff320134541cdd27ca1e5","source_id":"us-ky","stale":false,"prev":"us-ky/krs-70.210","next":"us-ky/krs-70.261"},"notice":"GroundRules: Original legal text. Not legal advice."}