Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Budget topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Nonprofits urge Board to restore cuts as Rockingham County holds public hearing on proposed FY2027 budget
Summary
Nonprofit leaders urged the Rockingham County Board of Supervisors to reconsider cuts in the proposed FY2027 budget and CIP during an April 8 public hearing; the Board will consider adoption at its April 22 meeting amid warnings a budget approval would raise the real estate tax rate.
Rockingham County Administrator Casey B. Armstrong presented the proposed fiscal year 2027 budget and five-year Capital Improvement Plan to the Board of Supervisors and the public during an April 8 hearing.
During the hearing, local nonprofit representatives told the Board the proposal’s reductions would strain essential services. Phil Patterson, Treasurer and a Boys & Girls Club board member, and Sandra Quigg, the club’s CEO, asked the Board to reconsider a funding decrease they said threatens the organization’s services. "We respectfully request the Board reconsider the funding reduction," Patterson said.
Melissa Britt, executive director of the Plains Area Daycare Center, said the center faces a $5,000 reduction in county funding at a time the State has directed the center to raise teacher salaries, increasing financial pressure. "That reduction will make meeting the new salary requirements harder," Britt said.
Other speakers included Jenny Burden of The Arts Council, Diane McCarthy of the Harrisonburg Rockingham Daycare Center, Candy Phillips of First Step: A Response to Domestic Violence, April Hepler of Adagio House, Erin Frazier of the Collins Center & Child Advocacy Center, Nate Riddle of Open Doors, and Beth Bland of Valley Program for Aging Services. Speakers described program demand and provided service counts: Erin Frazier said her organization served more than 2,500 people in the last fiscal year; Nate Riddle said Open Doors served more than 600 people in 2025; Beth Bland said Valley Program for Aging Services served over 1,700 older residents in 2025.
Chair Leila C. Longcor closed the public hearing and the Board scheduled consideration of adoption for the regular meeting on April 22, 2026. Supervisor Dewey L. Ritchie cautioned that "approval of the proposed budget would result in an increase in the real estate tax rate," and emphasized concerns about the long-term sustainability of the County’s finances. Supervisor Sallie Wolfe-Garrison thanked staff and nonprofit representatives for their input and acknowledged the difficulty of balancing services and fiscal responsibility.
The Board took no final vote on the budget at the April 8 meeting; adoption remains scheduled for April 22.
