The Carroll County Economic Development Authority convened a closed session during its July 15, 2025 meeting, citing the Virginia Freedom of Information Act, and later certified the session complied with statutory open-meeting exemptions.

The chair (unnamed) moved that the board "convene a closed session for discussion as authorized by ... section 2.2-3711, A3 and A7," and members voted to enter the closed session. After returning to open session, the chair read a written certification stating the board "certifies that to the best of each member's knowledge, only public business matters lawfully exempt from open meeting requirements under the Virginia Freedom of Information Act were heard, discussed, or considered in the closed session." Board members then responded in the affirmative when asked to certify.

The action matters because § 2.2-3711 of the Code of Virginia defines categories of matters that may be discussed in closed session, including certain legal consultations and property negotiations. The board's public certification asserts the discussion remained within the scope of the motion that closed the meeting.

Transcript portions show the board moved into closed session after a motion and second, and later returned to open session with a formal verbal certification, starting with a roll-call-style prompt to certify beginning "with Martin." The transcript includes a short, unclear remark made during the closed session — "Says sale price, $5.85." The transcript does not specify whether that figure refers to dollars per acre, total dollars, or another unit; the record available to this article does not clarify context.

No formal votes recorded on substantive policy or transactions were announced in open session, other than the board's certification that the closed session complied with the statutory exemption and the routine motions to open and close the closed session. The meeting then proceeded to adjourn.

The transcript shows the closed-session motion, the board's return to open session, and the certification all occurred during the July 15 meeting; it does not provide additional documentary details of what was discussed in closed session.