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Council holds closed session on city manager candidates; one member declines to certify
Summary
Council entered closed session under Va. Code § 2.2-3711(A)(1) to consider prospective city manager candidates; after the closed session most members certified compliance with FOIA requirements, one member explicitly refused to certify and another recorded an abstention.
The Franklin City Council voted to enter a closed session to discuss city manager candidates under the Virginia Freedom of Information Act exemption for personnel interviews (Va. Code § 2.2-3711(A)(1)). A council member made the motion, it was seconded and the council approved the motion to move into closed session.
After reconvening in open session, the council considered the required certification motion stating that, to each member's knowledge, only matters lawfully exempted were discussed and that only the subjects identified in the motion were considered. Several members announced "I certify." One member said explicitly, "I do not certify," and another member recorded an abstention during the subsequent vote.
The member who declined to certify explained earlier in public comment that they had concerns about transparency and about information that they said had been withheld; other members defended their conduct and framed the disagreement as one that voters should answer at the ballot box.
The council adjourned after the certification and routine agenda items. The meeting record provided no additional public detail about candidate names or the substance of closed-session interviews, consistent with the exemption claimed.
The statute cited in the motion was read into the record; the meeting minutes should include the certification vote and any member statements for the official file.
