Henry County Board approves contracts, school roof, funding transfers in unanimous votes

The Henry County Board of Supervisors voted unanimously on a slate of routine and budget items during its Jan. 28, 2025 meeting, approving contracts, appropriations and property sales that the board said will support county infrastructure, public safety and schools.

The actions, taken during the meeting’s business session and public hearings, included awarding engineering and equipment contracts, approving transfers of asset-forfeiture funds for body-worn cameras and authorizing a $2.66 million draw on the county’s 1% sales tax fund to replace a school roof.

Board action highlights included:

- The board approved the items of consent (agenda item 5) by a 6-0 vote.

- An additional appropriation of $12,500 from Valley Star Credit Union to support the county’s “seed beautification” landscaping program was approved (agenda item 8a) by a 6-0 vote.

- A transfer appropriation of $40,000 from the Commonwealth Attorney’s state asset forfeiture fund to the sheriff’s office budget to purchase 24 body-worn cameras was approved (agenda item 8b) by a 6-0 vote. Staff noted the Code of Virginia requires localities to provide positions in the Commonwealth’s Attorney’s Office proportional to the number of law enforcement cameras; the Commonwealth’s Attorney represented to the board that the additional cameras would not trigger new funded positions at this time.

- The board awarded a contract for engineering services for the Beavercreek Drive extension to Wiley Wilson of Lynchburg for $79,500 (agenda item 8c), approved 6-0.

- A contract for a new ambulance was awarded to Vest Sales and Service for $325,244 (agenda item 8d). The county noted the vehicle will replace ambulances with aging modular boxes and chassis; the motion passed 6-0.

- The board approved an additional appropriation of $2,660,000 from the county’s 1% sales tax fund for new construction and renovation to replace the roof at Laurel Park Middle School (public hearing, agenda item 14), approved 6-0.

- The sale of county property at 119 Kaufman Drive to Meeks Commercial Properties LLC for $206,000 was approved after a public hearing (agenda item 15), 6-0.

- The board approved rezoning application R-25-1 (Robert Sessna) to change 2.34 acres from suburban residential to agricultural (agenda item 16) after a public hearing; the motion passed 6-0.

Several ceremonial items and awards were also adopted or presented by motion during the meeting.

The board recorded its votes by voice and the clerk reported each as “6-0” in the meeting minutes; no roll-call listing of individual yes/no votes was read into the record for the motions summarized above.

Notes: motions and outcomes were taken from the meeting agenda and on-the-record motions during the Jan. 28 meeting. Where the transcript recorded legal or procedural references (for example, state rules tied to asset-forfeiture-funded equipment), the board and staff statements are reported without inference beyond what was said.