Harrisonburg City Council approved a $1,231,557 supplemental appropriation Oct. 14 to cover the city’s required local match for expenditures under the Children's Services Act (CSA) for fiscal year 2025.

Amy Snyder, deputy city manager and the city’s appointed representative on the Community Policy and Management Team (CPMT) that governs the local CSA, explained that the Commonwealth sets the local match and that a state audit completed in August 2025 identified major deficiencies in compliance and internal controls for the local CSA operations. Snyder told council the CSA serves mandated eligible youth — including children with Individualized Education Programs, children in foster care and those court‑ordered to services — and that FY25 costs exceeded the amount budgeted by the city.

Snyder said the joint city‑county CSA served 602 children in FY25, up from 583 the prior year, and that FY25 expenses rose roughly 15.8% year over year. The CPMT has submitted a 26‑part quality improvement plan to the state oversight office, increased staff capacity in the CSA office, added trainings, and implemented policy changes — for example limiting hours and duration for certain mentoring services identified as a high‑cost category — which Snyder said yielded several hundred thousand dollars in reduced spending in that category after policy changes.

Why it matters: The CSA is a state‑mandated program; local governments must provide the local match. Snyder asked council to treat the appropriation as payment for services already rendered and explained the CPMT’s ongoing work to improve governance, reporting and cost management.

Action: Council approved the supplemental appropriation by roll call (unanimous). Snyder said she would provide further reporting and that the CPMT is working with JMU’s ICAD organization for strategic support and to implement improvements.

Ending: Council approved the payment to cover FY25 liabilities while the CPMT implements a quality improvement plan and governance reforms; Snyder offered to return with additional progress updates to council on a timetable to be set with city management.