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Franklin council votes to enter closed session to discuss personnel; transparency concerns raised
Summary
After debate over whether severance discussions should be open, Franklin City Council amended the agenda to include personnel matters and voted to go into closed session under Virginia law for personnel and legal consultation.
The Franklin City Council voted on Aug. 25 to amend its agenda to include discussion of terms of severance and then voted to go into closed session to address personnel and receive legal advice.
A council member introduced a motion to amend the agenda to permit discussion of severance terms. Some members argued such matters should be discussed in public when records are already in the public domain; others said past litigation involving local school boards and the need to avoid legal exposure supported taking personnel matters into closed session.
Following discussion, the council voted to go into closed session pursuant to Virginia Code §2.2-3711(A)(1) (personnel) and §2.2-3711(A)(8) (consultation with legal counsel). After the closed session, members certified that only matters lawfully exempt from open-meeting requirements were discussed, as required by Va. Code §2.2-3712(D).
Several members explicitly urged transparency. One council member said they preferred an open discussion but conceded to colleagues' wishes; another warned about past cases in which closed meetings were used improperly and recommended council training on the charter and legal limits.
What happens next: The council completed the required certification and adjourned; any formal personnel actions resulting from the closed session were not announced during open session and will be reported according to legal requirements.
