County staff present FY25/FY26 budget amendments and new animal shelter memorandum of understanding

County officials presented two budget amendments and a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with the Fauquier SPCA at the Sept. 11 agenda review and work session.

FY2025 amendment: Staff described a resolution to amend the FY2025 adopted budget by $1,573,045 to align fiscal year‑end accounting with actual revenue and expenditures. The amendment would appropriate about $500,000 from the School Nutrition Fund balance and up to roughly $1,000,000 from the Health Insurance Fund balance to account for revenue (including stop‑loss insurance recoveries) and expenditures that closed after the original budget. Finance staff said the amendment authorizes the budget and finance departments to appropriate from fund balances as needed to align financials with actuals.

FY2026 technical correction: A separate resolution adjusts the FY2026 adopted budget for the school division, de‑appropriating $297,367 across three school‑division funds. Staff said the change is a timing technical correction stemming from the school division adopting its budget after the county; staff said the correction does not change the county transfer to the school division.

Fauquier SPCA MOU: Staff described a draft memorandum of understanding that would authorize Fauquier SPCA, a local nonprofit that owns and operates an animal shelter, to serve as the county’s public animal shelter and provide related services. Staff said the MOU updates and clarifies services and affirms a long‑standing partnership; Fauquier SPCA Executive Director Devon Settle and Sheriff Falls were present to acknowledge the partnership.

Next steps: The resolutions and MOU were presented for board consideration; the transcript records staff presentations and questions but not the board's final vote on these items.