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Lee County opens budget workshop; board votes to sell Lehigh tennis courts and flags multi‑million revenue shortfall
Summary
At an April budget workshop the Lee County Board approved a $500,000 sale offer for the Lehigh High tennis courts, reviewed revenues (including FAA reimbursements) and discussed a projected multi‑million dollar shortfall tied to state budget uncertainty; library and school funding were debated and the board approved a short list of community appropriations.
The Lee County Board of Supervisors spent its April recess meeting conducting a line‑by‑line budget workshop, approving a motion to sell the Lehigh High tennis courts and debating several contested appropriations as county staff warned of a multi‑million dollar revenue shortfall.
Why it matters: The workshop framed choices the board will make as it drafts a budget under uncertainty about the state budget and with revenue items that may not recur. Board members weighed community services, library contract obligations, and school funding while trying to limit new, ongoing commitments.
Sale of Lehigh tennis courts
The board voted to accept an offer to sell the tennis courts at Lee High for $500,000 after a motion and second. The motion carried with board approval during the meeting; the administrator and members said the property has appeared on the docket for sale for some time.
Budget outlook and key line items
County administration outlined revenue volatility and one‑time reimbursements that had previously filled gaps. The administrator said the county had benefited in the past from an unusual assessment uptick and FAA reimbursements but faces a structural deficit; among figures discussed was a projected revenue loss of several million dollars tied to the split billing and ARPA adjustments.
On community appropriations the board reduced a requested $5,500 for Feeding Southwest Virginia to $3,000, citing tight county finances but noting the organization's capacity to leverage outside resources. The board also discussed Mountain Empire Community College support, senior services, youth programs, and the Lonesome Pine local funding request.
Library contract
Members extensively debated the library appropriation and the county’s contractual obligations. The administrator noted that notices to withdraw funding had missed contractual windows, meaning the county is obligated to fund the library through the contract term (through fiscal year 2027), unless the board negotiates another settlement. Several board members expressed reluctance to increase ongoing contributions in the presence of a large structural deficit.
Schools and required local effort
Supervisors reviewed the schools' funding request and state 'required local effort' calculations; some members favored funding schools at last year’s level while monitoring the state budget process. The administrator summarized the state‑level figures and stressed the board would need to decide whether to maintain last year’s local commitment or increase the county share if the state adds new line items.
What’s next
The board sent several items to staff for follow up (an inventory list for fire departments, criteria for station funding, and additional budget detail) and scheduled further budget work as state action becomes clearer.
Provenance: The tennis court sale discussion appears where the board moved and voted to sell the Lehigh tennis courts (topicintro: SEG 1530; topfinish: SEG 1632). Budget overview and line‑item discussion begin with the county administrator’s presentation (topicintro: SEG 1640; topfinish: SEG 4450).
