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Emporia Council amends March bills, approves tree‑removal appropriation, accepts downtown grant and reappropriates FY2022 audit payment
Summary
Council approved March bills after removing a contested $500 superintendent stipend, authorized up to $35,000 for tree removal at the Sabar property, accepted a $20,000 BOOMS technical assistance grant for downtown revitalization, approved a revised budget work‑session schedule and reappropriated $63,604.09 to pay the FY2022 audit.
Emporia City Council on April 21 approved several fiscal and administrative items. After Councilman James C. Saunders questioned three expenditures in the March bills — a $500 stipend to the Superintendent of Schools (purpose not determined by staff), a $2,500 advertisement in a Washington Nationals publication, and about $3,000 for council blazers — the council amended the bill approval to exclude the $500 stipend and then approved the March 2026 bills (General Fund $1,490,907.11; Utility Fund $261,784.84).
Council approved an appropriation of up to $35,000 to remove trees from the city‑owned Sabar property to improve marketability pending Virginia Department of Environmental Quality permit clarification; council required any expenditure above $35,000 to return for approval. The council also adopted an appropriation ordinance accepting a $20,000 technical assistance grant from the Virginia Department of Housing and Community Development to participate in the Building Opportunities on Main Street (BOOMS) program; Economic Development Director Shanetta Beck said the program will engage residents and developers to guide downtown façade and historic district initiatives.
Council approved a revised budget work session schedule (removing the May 7 meeting and scheduling a May 5 work session at 5:00 p.m.) and authorized a public hearing on the proposed FY2026‑2027 budget for May 19, 2026 at 6:30 p.m., noting the advertisement will be longer than usual due to a citywide reassessment. Council also voted to reappropriate $63,604.09 from the unassigned fund balance to pay Brown Edwards for completion of the FY2022 audit; staff said a similar request for FY2023 audit payment would follow.
Votes at a glance: the March bills were approved as amended (stipend removed); the Sabar tree‑removal appropriation (up to $35,000) passed; BOOMS grant acceptance and appropriation passed; the revised budget schedule and authorization of a May 19 budget public hearing passed; and the reappropriation of $63,604.09 for the FY2022 audit was approved — all motions were recorded as passing by unanimous recorded vote.
