Rappahannock supervisors adopt FY2026 budget amendment after public hearing

The Rappahannock County Board of Supervisors on Dec. 1 held a public hearing and adopted a resolution amending the county’s fiscal year 2026 budget to record recent supplemental adjustments.

Treasurer Bonnie explained the board had approved changes through November totaling $453,000, about 0.9% of the adopted budget. She told the board that the single largest group of adjustments — roughly $451,000 — reflects a school “true-up” of carryover, state, federal and grant funding. “There is an adjustment here for $300,000 which is use of the courthouse security fees to fund a portion of the network modernization project,” she said, adding: “This is not $300,000 in addition to what the board has already approved in concept. This is just making that actual adjustment.”

Board members asked whether the school-related funds were narrowly earmarked and could not be repurposed to reduce the county’s local transfer to schools. The treasurer said that would largely be the case for the listed grants and revenue sources. A supervisor asked for confirmation from the superintendent that the grants’ earmarking would prevent them from substituting for local operating support.

During the meeting the treasurer identified the school-related sources as including $40,000 from the Virginia Tiered System of Supports, an SBMH grant of $234,000, $45,000 from REACH, $25,000 from PATH, Headwaters Spark Camp $6,918, Headwaters farm-to-table $25,000, and about $15,890 from a surplus-property online auction.

Supervisor [motioning member] moved to adopt the provided resolution amending the FY2026 budget; a second motion received a roll-call vote and the measure passed. The board subsequently moved and approved a follow-up motion to concurrently update FY2026 appropriations.

The hearing record shows the public hearing was advertised and materials were available for public inspection; no members of the public testified in person or via Zoom on the budget amendment. The board closed the public hearing before the motions and votes. The adopted amendments record the listed grants and restricted funds and do not represent a transfer of general county operating dollars to the schools.

The board directed staff to follow up with the superintendent to confirm how the grants’ restrictions interact with the county’s local transfer to the school division. The board also asked staff to consider clearer public reporting of school cash flows vs. fund balance so the public is not left with the impression that the school system is holding unobligated cash.