City staff on Nov. 24 asked the Waynesboro City Council to introduce an ordinance amending the FY26 budget to add $5,675,774 for items carried forward from the prior fiscal year and for grant-funded projects. The council introduced the ordinance and will schedule a public hearing before final consideration.

The request, presented by Mr. McCormick, breaks the total into several components: roughly $1,500,000 for paving and micro-surfacing; $215,000 remaining on the comprehensive plan update contract; $140,000 to upgrade the city's timekeeping system; $697,000 remaining on the MS7 sewer project; and $1,541,000 of miscellaneous grants, donations and recoveries. The staff summary also noted $1,131,000 in school board appropriations (listed as $540,000 in grants and $591,000 from fund balance to cover insurance reserves and site acquisition).

McCormick told council that many of the items are encumbrances that did not complete in FY25 and therefore must be carried forward. He said some grant-funded items are fully supported by new revenues; others use fund balance. The staff memo also lists a $80,000 aid-to-locality (ATL) grant for fire board vehicle replacement, a $172,000 community flood preparedness grant with a $19,000 interfund transfer, and a $25,000 dam-safety certificate request for Jones Hollow, among other line items.

A council member moved and another seconded the introduction; staff said the item would return to council for a required public hearing and final consideration in December. The meeting record includes inconsistent references to the exact calendar date for final consideration (both Dec. 8 and Dec. 18 are mentioned in the staff remarks); staff said the public hearing will be advertised and scheduled.

No final action on the amendment was taken Nov. 24; the item will return for a publicly noticed hearing and a vote at a later meeting.