Fulton County commissioners adopt 2026 tentative budget, approve veterans staffing change and CDBG kickoff

Fulton County commissioners on Nov. 25 adopted a 2026 tentative budget and approved several administrative actions, including qualifying the county’s Veterans Affairs director for full-time status and initiating a Community Development Block Grant project for the Warfordsburg Senior Center. The meeting was held at the Commissioners’ Office in McConnellsburg.

The board, consisting of Chairman Randy H. Bunch, Vice-Chairman Steven L. Wible and Commissioner Hervey P. Hann, approved the tentative budget as presented by Chief Financial Officer Mike Lamb and Fiscal Administrator Sue Reed; the board set final adoption for Dec. 30, 2025. Commissioner Hervey P. Hann moved to adopt the tentative budget and the motion passed unanimously.

The budget decision was the meeting’s central action: commissioners approved payroll dated Nov. 28, 2025 of $125,126.16 and payables dated Nov. 28, 2025 totaling $674,010.68 across funds including the General Fund ($213,274.44) and several special funds. CFO Mike Lamb and Fiscal Administrator Sue Reed presented the budget materials to the board.

Separately, Commissioner Hann moved to approve Veteran Affairs Director Richard Newman to work the equivalent of 30 hours per week and to qualify as a full-time employee with benefits. The board said the change responded to additional duties Newman was assigned by the state related to the Disabled Veterans Real Estate Tax Exemption; the motion passed unanimously.

The board also accepted proposed changes to the county HR Manual, Section 212 “Employee Benefits,” after discussion with HR Administrator Mary Huston and asked Huston to return with final language for formal approval. Commissioners voted to accept Huston’s proposal to amend Section 212.

On community development, commissioners held a CDBG project kickoff via Zoom with SEDA-Cog Program Analyst Hanorah Lucas, Building and Maintenance Director Brad Seville and Connie Brode, executive director for the Huntingdon/Bedford/Fulton Area on Aging, to discuss scope and next steps for the Warfordsburg Senior Center Project.

Routine administrative actions included approval of conservation district reappointment letters for Gene Mellott and Mark Knepper; approval of an amended Title IV‑D attorney contract for Domestic Relations; acceptance of EPayment Now dog license receipts ($2,363.50); and approval of vendor invoices from William Penn Printing ($4,487.70), Elect IT Solutions ($9,854.00) and HART ($11,815.00). The board also authorized Interim County Treasurer Amy Bishop to obtain a county credit card and approved a CCAP PCoRP final installment contribution of $45,442.00 toward a total contribution of $151,474.00.

The agenda listed a 9:00 a.m. bid opening for 119 North Second Street, McConnellsburg; no bids were presented. Commissioners retroactively approved Chief Clerk Stacey M. Shives to electronically execute Krivak Trust signatory documents related to a Treasurer’s Office transition and retroactively approved a travel request for Shives.

The meeting record notes an executive session from 8:06 to 8:41 a.m. for legal matters and an Election Board meeting at 10:51 a.m. (separate minutes on file). Commissioner Bunch moved to adjourn at 11:45 a.m., and the motion carried unanimously.

Next procedural steps: the board scheduled final adoption of the 2026 budget for Dec. 30, 2025; separate meetings or filings (CDBG project documents, contract amendments and routine minutes) are recorded as separate minutes or files on the county record.