Huntington council approves $87 million budget after contested vote, restores small microgrants program

The Huntington City Council approved an $87,000,000 fiscal year 2026–27 budget on March 9 after a contested voice vote, a short recess to clarify procedure, and a subsequent roll-call that confirmed the measure as amended.

Mayor Farrell, who led the budget presentation, said the proposal “is a $87,000,000 budget that's essentially the same as last year,” adding it balances revenues and expenses with no new taxes or fees and emphasizes public safety, infrastructure and economic growth. He told council the city has prioritized transparency, citing use of the state Open Checkbook to show spending.

The most disputed item on the floor was an amendment offered by Council member Sally Layman to reallocate $11,000 from the economic development contribution line to create a council-controlled microgrants pool (roughly $1,000 per council member) and direct a subcommittee to design a simplified application form. Layman said the change would “help people succeed with small amounts in every neighborhood.” Sarah Walling, who seconded the amendment, pressed for better transparency in decision-making and called for access to contribution request records.

After discussion, the council conducted a voice vote on Layman's amendment. Some members said they had not heard the outcome clearly, and the chair called a five-minute recess to consult Robert's Rules. City Attorney Scott Damron read the assembly’s options for a counted vote. When the meeting resumed, the council held a roll-call to decide whether the initial voice vote should stand; the chair announced the amendment had been approved and incorporated into the budget.

Brianna Bowen, executive director of the Cabell County Public Library, urged continued city support for the library system during public comment and suggested the library be reflected as its own line item to help planning. Bowen also noted prior microgrant payments had helped library programming and services.

Votes at a glance - Resolution 2026‑R‑50 (FY2026–27 budget, as amended): approved (roll-call). Reported roll-call responses during final adoption included yes votes from Arthur, Blau, Holly Smith Mount, Johnson, Mount, Rumbaugh, Sweeney, Walling, Archer and Shockley and a recorded no from a single member (Langman); chair declared the budget approved. (Exact recorded roll-call sequence is taken from council proceedings.) - Amendment (Sally Layman): approved (voice vote contested; later validated by roll-call to let voice vote stand).

Council discussion ranged from calls for stronger transparency around how contribution and microgrant decisions are made to warnings about city debt levels and fiscal discipline. Vice Chair Archer and others described the amendment’s size as modest in the context of an $87 million budget and urged steady execution of priorities such as flood mitigation, public works and a new cybersecurity building currently under construction.

During the meeting the council also approved lease resolutions enabling the Home and Homeless Services Hub, Inc. to take possession of certain city personal and real property at nominal rates and a resolution renewing a workers’ compensation letter of credit in the amount of $218,317 to comply with state surety requirements.

The council’s immediate next steps are implementation of the budget as adopted and administrative follow-through on the microgrants subcommittee and the Hub lease transfers. The chair closed the meeting after general announcements and a good-and-welfare public-comment period that included neighborhood and event updates.

(Reporting based on council proceedings and public comment at the March 9, 2026 Huntington City Council meeting.)