County Administrator Tom Rose said he wants to set the record straight and clarify comments made by Crystal Harris, of the Smith River District, regarding his participation during trips to Richmond to advocate for an extension of certain hospital licenses.

Harris recently called for Rose to step down, citing job performance and other issues.

“She said I did not speak” while in Richmond, Rose said. “That’s not true.”

According to documents county officials provided at the request of state officials, EDA, county and local representatives traveled to Richmond four times  – on January 11, 16, 18, and 23 — to lobby for extending  certain hospital licenses.

“I spoke to the house and I spoke to the congress” to advocate for the extensions, he said.

Rose said he also took issue when Harris said “late night calls to employees and others don’t count as work hours.”

Rose said he does not count after hour telephone calls on his time sheet as work time.

Also, given the opportunity to do it over again, he would have included Debbie Foley in a recent conference call with state officials about efforts to reopen the hospital.

Foley, the director of the Patrick County Economic Development Authority (EDA), resigned from her post recently, citing a lack of support.

Lock Boyce, chairman of the Patrick County Board of Supervisors, said the resignation was prompted by Foley’s exclusion from a conference call with officials in the state department.

According to previous reports, state officials emailed Rose and Boyce requesting the call. Boyce said he and Rose participated in the call at Boyce’s clinic.

“Hindsight is 20/20,” Rose said. Although the conference call “happened very quickly, but if I had it to do over again, I would invite her into that meeting. Yes, I would,” Rose said.