County staff presented a revised calendar for the fiscal year 2627 budget process at the Oct. 14 Warren County working session, proposing to deliver a single, comprehensive proposed budget presentation earlier in March and to consolidate department-level review into office-hour style meetings (March 4–6) rather than repeated evening departmental presentations.

Why it matters: The annual budget is the county’s principal policy document and governs spending priorities, staffing and tax-rate scenarios. Supervisors said they want adequate time to review departmental line items and to receive audit information before final votes; staff said the revised calendar aims to present the "full picture" earlier so supervisors can prioritize strategic decisions rather than incremental departmental line-item reviews.

Board feedback: Several supervisors expressed concern the calendar compresses review time, especially for members who want to see departmental presentations in public workshops. Suggestions included adding more public work sessions, providing printed ClearGov reports and historical line-item comparisons in advance, and ensuring joint meetings with the school board remain part of the schedule. Staff acknowledged the feedback and offered to modify the calendar, noting the draft already includes two joint meetings with the school board and anticipates mid-February updates on health-insurance rates and the possibility of the Commonwealth's budget being late.

Next steps: Staff said the calendar will be on the next regular meeting for final approval; the draft may be revised to add additional meeting times and to clarify procedures for individual department reviews and ClearGov deliverables.

Operational notes from staff: The draft calendar includes a proposed special meeting March 24 to allow flexibility, two joint meetings with the school board and a block of January–April fourth‑Tuesday sessions held as budget work sessions. Staff also noted that any budget change above 1% after adoption would require a public hearing.