[{"_1":2,"_111":-5,"_112":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75,87,99],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6623834,"mediaKeyId","2769316-ee6c2403947d5bf0ebfb963205e53e90","parentId",2769316,"title","Council hears first reading for ordinance to allow photo enforcement at red lights; staff to complete engineering study","audioSeconds",1053,"startMs",2312000,"endMs",3365000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2769316-ee6c2403947d5bf0ebfb963205e53e90&start=2312&end=3365","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2769316-ee6c2403947d5bf0ebfb963205e53e90/thumbnail_2312000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6623834/Winchester-City/Frederick-County/Virginia/Council-hears-first-reading-for-ordinance-to-allow-photo-enforcement-at-red-lights-staff-to-complete-engineering-study","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6623834-16299cbf2c20072a688b5cb46623bd91/orig.mp4?Expires=1771154178&Signature=Ree6RpOFiH6tUXxzYn6146YeJgAbMIyhrzmyMDX0KkyYVo4DB~sm4gnzyREqL2oxverPefhbnVNLePdBhTR3R17GYG3fxBoLDLBBuf5vv6I45wI54cZfmrB~SY9j8kvxlYrMghKdYxfswR7Q0sKBbzQKyqxwP97XFDtJl-ogXaUk3u8cn6iuE6VmYMJvJBtAtrd6tAR-GDiA09ghN8AWstAbczAX3CdG0uauUavMavM5ZCjS5yiqWcEl3rJCsLwnpklKmVwfUqCpdEzYibkOE998H-ufNfXh1WgjDsDI-QIEYtm-y4M~VSvzjONFnhgUN37jLDLp26caiodf~uwVpA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Winchester","date","2025-03-25T00:00:00Z","article","Winchester City Council on March 25 held first reading of an ordinance to allow photo-monitoring systems to enforce red-light violations at signals.

Deputy City Manager for Public Health and Safety John Piper outlined the proposal and the statutory framework: Virginia code permits localities to adopt civil enforcement of red-light running through camera systems connected directly to traffic signals. The system would take a series of photographs when a vehicle is detected passing through a red light; each case would be reviewed by a Winchester Police Department officer before a civil penalty is issued. The proposed civil penalty is $50, and vehicle owners would be able to appeal to general district court or submit an affidavit that they were not the driver.

Piper said the enabling state law restricts the number of traffic-signal photo-monitoring systems to one per 10,000 residents, which would limit Winchester to two camera-equipped intersections given current population figures. He said staff will perform required engineering studies and evaluate signal timing and traditional enforcement before any cameras are activated. The public-safety department supplied crash data for 2022–2024 to identify high-crash intersections; councilors noted one intersection with frequent collisions and discussed how photo enforcement could reduce crashes and ease demand on emergency services.

Councilors raised technical and procedural questions: how the system handles yellow-light events (Piper said only red-light violations would be cited and that engineering reviews would confirm yellow-light timings), how appeals would be processed, whether out-of-state plates can be cited (yes, as these are civil fines), and whether the city had evaluated vendors. Piper said the city’s existing contract with Ultimate (the vendor used for school-zone and bus stop-arm cameras) allows expansion into red-light enforcement and that the vendor takes a portion of collected fines under the current contract model; staff said vendor selection and procurement practices had followed established contracting approaches and that the number of court appeals in the school-zone program was small.

Council members asked staff to publish the engineering studies, traffic analyses and crash data on the city website and to include a 30-day warning period after installation before issuing citations, in line with the city’s previous school-zone program. Piper said staff will return with the completed engineering study and a recommended list of intersections if the ordinance moves forward on second reading.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Winchester - City Council Regular Meeting - 6:00 PM - Mar 25 2025 - Mar 25, 2025","oneSentenceSummary","Winchester City Council on March 25 held first reading of an ordinance to allow photo-monitoring systems to detect and cite red-light running at traffic signals.","taxTitle","Winchester City, Frederick County, Virginia","taxId",5107,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6623839,"Council gives guidance for 79¢ tax rate; school board presents FY26 budget seeking $1.2 million from city",6302,3396000,9698000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2769316-ee6c2403947d5bf0ebfb963205e53e90&start=3396&end=9698","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2769316-ee6c2403947d5bf0ebfb963205e53e90/thumbnail_3396000.jpg","/articles/6623839/Winchester-City/Frederick-County/Virginia/Council-gives-guidance-for-79-tax-rate-school-board-presents-FY26-budget-seeking-12-million-from-city","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6623839-984ad44793c24cd1a35da76a94cbaace/orig.mp4?Expires=1771154178&Signature=fpp7YJaD~Xms8Vn2PO-fRqzgnBUAprLcxmmVbCBsJJiqTvc7uNEnZzxAwGbRGXsQ3eoZfkwqP7nI0wFuUF-sHHxHlOBksCmkgWtjioF7t4GT3IdlTq0bxyVHyghQd-9vxBensYwx8HRgyNKZyPTzuDB-4AC~wvKCKgwM8Bnac0C9WZFJ3e1ZAHcsAhEvSQizyjO6ycTXV4YVyibT3ZWzW9YeAgyUH-atSMDWe1q5FxXD2Sg6QaESr20Wal-ILYgkYEvPgCAJHW5zK3bWqohYqtM~2Kga13nlcc-jIHjj23xNjmMx7MJOYXmZcyTDKs2yjvOiRX8k2nWD0d-r5z3sqA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Winchester City Council on March 25 heard a presentation from Winchester Public Schools on its fiscal year 2026 budget and gave staff guidance to prepare a tax-rate scenario at $0.79 per $100 in assessed value.

The school board chair and superintendent presented a budget that centers on salary-scale adjustments and cost-of-living increases, with a net request to the city of $1.2 million for FY2026. Dr. Jason Van Hoekkelam and School Board Chair Brian Gonzales said the proposal tightens and standardizes pay scales, raises the minimum hourly wage for lowest-paid positions and includes a market-driven step increase for teachers. The schools expect state revenue tied to average daily membership (ADM) to cover much of the plan but are asking the city to fund the remaining local share.

The budget presentation emphasized two risk factors: fluctuations in ADM and the phasing out of several federal grants. Van Hoekkelam said the division plans conservatively on 4,100 ADM for state revenue estimates and noted that federal COVID-era grants that previously boosted the budget will no longer be available in full in coming years.

City Manager Dan Hoffman reviewed the city’s budget options and said council guidance was needed on the tax rate to finalize the city budget. Councilors discussed trade-offs among maintaining fund balance, funding public safety positions and fully supporting the school request. Several councilors said they wanted to avoid using recurring one-time fund balance for ongoing expenses; others emphasized that failing to fund employees competitively risks losing staff to neighboring jurisdictions.

After discussion, Council adopted a formal motion giving staff direction to prepare the tax-rate ordinance and related budget materials using a $0.79 rate for first reading. Council members noted the city will still publish a not-to-exceed notice in the newspaper (per state advertising requirements) and that the final tax rate and budget will be decided at a later meeting.

The schools said the total WPS budget, including capital and federal grants, is about $95 million; the operating request driving the local ask is centered on personnel costs and inflation. The schools asked the council to fully fund the $1.2 million local share and to consider the budget’s salary adjustments as investments in retention and recruitment.

Council directed staff to return with a detailed 79¢ scenario, including the specific program and capital impacts of that rate and recommendations to reconcile remaining priorities if further adjustments are needed. The council will take the formal tax-rate ordinance up at the next meeting with a public hearing and final adoption scheduled later in the approval calendar.","Winchester Public Schools presented a FY2026 budget asking the city for $1.2 million to cover salary and inflationary increases. City council gave staff guidance to prepare a tax-rate scenario at $0.79 per $100 of assessed value and asked staff to return with a detailed 79¢ budget at the next meeting.",{"_33":88,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":89,"_41":90,"_43":91,"_45":92,"_47":93,"_49":94,"_51":95,"_53":96,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":97,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":98,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6623825,"Votes at a glance: council approves multiple ordinances and a stormwater bond resolution; several items advanced",249,221000,470000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2769316-ee6c2403947d5bf0ebfb963205e53e90&start=221&end=470","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2769316-ee6c2403947d5bf0ebfb963205e53e90/thumbnail_221000.jpg","/articles/6623825/Winchester-City/Frederick-County/Virginia/Votes-at-a-glance-council-approves-multiple-ordinances-and-a-stormwater-bond-resolution-several-items-advanced","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6623825-67907a56fe86af9ecdb4f5e0c1da3347/orig.mp4?Expires=1771154178&Signature=oWTKqLiXw1~~mtfqGNi6IQEcaAFM5quKExXwjq4homSPfVGQJVDyxC3Suti9agNsEeXpScx7Eivs9iVMr0Y59-fTcVlx-WSF7RrBn64EA6MQ5bY004H9KWptYMFWXb7JTQu0deq9cYv-VQ8zfNgaAWM4aPyhu9DBsVyV1-LWhWY7DEz3-FoyV1eiNTvmwDhV~CZMlPslOwyW6K4fKHw8FwRmQrmeUwu~wctgA05ptxxTMYliOqj0l9GZt2buxZuDlPNa07I7Jf4lsosj9ViBcgRqy5VFzhdrtcO7Pp5gmaRjjZYAeE6v64myYdkHPq1Sk3jcqajPp-UaOFEiJg5nKQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","At its March 25 meeting Winchester City Council approved multiple agenda items on second reading, adopted a related bond resolution and moved other items forward.

Key outcomes recorded on the agenda during the meeting:

- O2025-5 (second reading): Ordinance amending Chapter 5, Article 2 of the Winchester City Code concerning license tax relating to dogs — second reading motion carried and the item passed on roll call.

- O2025-1 (second reading): Ordinance amending sections 14-52 and 14-55 of Chapter 14 (motor vehicle code) — presented as a cleanup to parking and motor vehicle violations; second reading motion carried and the item passed on roll call.

- O2025-3 (second reading): Ordinance authorizing issuance and sale of stormwater system revenue bonds in an aggregate principal amount not to exceed $11,850,000 — second reading motion carried; staff noted a separate resolution related to bond sale later on the agenda.

- R2025-8 (resolution): Resolution providing for the issuance and sale of a taxable stormwater system revenue bond, series 2025, of the City of Winchester in an amount not to exceed $11,850,000 — council approved the resolution by roll call; staff reminded council that both the ordinance and the resolution together authorize the financing and that both items were associated.

- O2025-2 (first reading): Ordinance to add Chapter 14, Article 1, Section 14-16 pertaining to the use of photo-monitoring systems for traffic signals — advanced on first reading; staff will perform engineering and signal-timing analyses before possible second reading and activation.

Council also approved the consent agenda and heard routine committee reports during the meeting. Where roll-call votes were reported in the transcript, the mayor or meeting clerk recorded “Yes” for items after roll calls; the transcript records items passing without listing full member-by-member tallies for every vote. The council recessed into an executive session at the end of the meeting to consider appointments to boards and commissions.","On March 25 the Winchester City Council passed several second-reading ordinances and a resolution tied to stormwater revenue bonds, approved routine code cleanups, and advanced a first reading on a red-light camera ordinance. Items were approved by voice or roll call as recorded on the agenda.",{"_33":100,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":101,"_41":102,"_43":103,"_45":104,"_47":105,"_49":106,"_51":107,"_53":108,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":109,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":110,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6623830,"Speakers at council public comment urge police accountability and allege wrongful child removals by DSS/CPS",1623,569000,2192000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2769316-ee6c2403947d5bf0ebfb963205e53e90&start=569&end=2192","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2769316-ee6c2403947d5bf0ebfb963205e53e90/thumbnail_569000.jpg","/articles/6623830/Winchester-City/Frederick-County/Virginia/Speakers-at-council-public-comment-urge-police-accountability-and-allege-wrongful-child-removals-by-DSSCPS","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6623830-0ad6c5ca250541a80e1b1013bec61fcc/orig.mp4?Expires=1771154178&Signature=MYTjFkN5pKdslk0Icw7X4h3qUPnoKKZ-lbFAnBEECgQnDuluJizs9KPMcc~dXuC8NWDpNIajC1PcZ9Uj9OxmtVBVrIJdpzFN-5ulk7e0UgjqXqezmNVKa~cOVFtGTmk5CNkS3qO6ZNkUauZ2VGxum4vAsTRvwlhZ2LfggIYAPzlHkBbxWF-etSgmbwJ6scem6wie63SJJNguobeToGt3OqmI3MB4GoAfLW9DtjXpxRmaI8ybJSshxtHqNXTeXzN9bTRVSRwz2EiC4c1hpNufVJ7bGNEeMRf0dIfYeJWE96qvMTHOeKlDf-g3rSvCeelAiPjC1YN960oU3G0o91D7gg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","At the March 25 Winchester City Council meeting several residents used the public comment period to raise two recurring themes: concern about a police use-of-force incident recorded the previous day, and allegations that child protective services and medical providers had participated in wrongful child removals.

Public comments opened with Jeff Milburn (Ward 3), who raised concerns about a revenue-sharing arrangement tied to a city ball-field deal and the disposition of surplus city property (a scoreboard). He asked who is overseeing revenue distribution and why certain items were declared surplus.

Multiple speakers then addressed a widely circulated video of a Winchester police officer using a Taser and physical force against a restrained man. Sunny Prisma described concerns about repeated Tasering and asked how the city is addressing missing women and police priorities. Rodrigo Leon and Rebecca Camp, both identifying with activist groups, described the video as an example of excessive force and called for investment in community services such as community paramedics instead of expanded police militarization. Chelsea Dicus discussed de-escalation training as an alternative to force and cited comparative workplace-violence statistics for health-care workers.

Several speakers told the council of alleged wrongful child removals and cited specific local agencies and medical providers. Claire Connor said her son was removed after what she alleges were falsified medical test results at Amherst Family Practice, and that dozens of other families had contacted her after a social-media post. Demetrius Gwynn and Dave and Jane Dalton described long-term struggles with family-court and adult-abuse findings, and the Daltons said multiple adult children with disabilities were removed from their care; they described appeals and administrative-review processes they said had failed them.

Council did not take action during public comment. Mayor Beach and staff acknowledged speakers and noted the time limit and the city attorney and departmental staff indicated next steps where appropriate but made no policy commitments during the meeting.","Multiple community members used the public comment period to demand accountability for a police use-of-force incident and to describe personal experiences alleging wrongful child removals and falsified medical testing involving DSS/CPS and a local medical practice.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Council hears first reading for ordinance to allow photo enforcement at red lights; staff to complete engineering study

Council gives guidance for 79¢ tax rate; school board presents FY26 budget seeking $1.2 million from city

Votes at a glance: council approves multiple ordinances and a stormwater bond resolution; several items advanced

Speakers at council public comment urge police accountability and allege wrongful child removals by DSS/CPS