Russell County supervisors approve proposed tax plan after heated debate, commission forensic audit

After roughly three hours of public comment and several hours of debate, the Russell County Board of Supervisors advanced a package of budget actions intended to fund pay increases for school employees and county staff while holding most county services intact.

County Administrator Lonzo Lester told the board that rising contractual costs — notably health insurance and regional jail assessments — left the county with limited options and that most line-item authority lies outside the supervisors’ control under the Code of Virginia. He presented a set of proposed reductions and revenue options and said the board needed to decide which services to protect.

Supervisors and speakers from across the county pressed for different responses. Several teachers and school supporters urged board members to fund a 3 percent raise plus a step increase for school staff, saying the pay changes are needed to retain educators. Fire chiefs and volunteer rescuers warned that cuts to emergency services would hurt response capabilities and volunteer retention. Members of the public and some supervisors pressed for an independent forensic audit to restore public confidence after months of rumor and rumor-driven mobilization.

The board set a date of June 20 for the local tax deadline and advanced the proposed rate framework presented by the administrator. After further discussion, supervisors voted to commission an independent forensic audit; earlier in the meeting, an initial attempt to order a forensic review had failed, but a subsequent motion to authorize a forensic audit was approved following extended debate about transparency and trust in county finances.

Board members emphasized they were trying to protect public safety, schools and required constitutional services while balancing limited discretionary authority. County staff and the treasurer said revenues tied to new industrial assessments and casino-related receipts are anticipated to grow in fiscal 2026, but those funds come in arrears and cannot be relied on to close immediate gaps without setting a sustainable multiyear rate.

The board also approved a request from the treasurer to set the tax-billing deadline at June 20 and approved the accounts presented for payment. Supervisors said they expected to revisit budget details in coming weeks as additional revenue and property-sale information becomes available.

The board did not adopt the full list of proposed program cuts presented earlier in the process, and several supervisors publicly pledged not to cut emergency services during the FY26 budgeting cycle. The county administrator said he would provide updated revenue figures and refined expenditure schedules at the next meeting.

The discussion followed more than two hours of public comment that included teachers, firefighters, volunteers and business and tourism advocates urging the board to balance taxpayer burden with funding for schools, public safety and economic development.