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Bland County supervisors approve FY26 appropriations, reaffirm Second Amendment sanctuary and impose burn ban
Summary
At its April 28 meeting the Bland County Board of Supervisors approved $230,747 in FY26 budget appropriations for county departments and schools, re-adopted a Second Amendment Sanctuary resolution, instituted a local burn ban and set hearing dates for the FY27 budget and related ordinances.
The Bland County Board of Supervisors voted unanimously April 28 to approve a package of FY26 budget appropriations that transfers and allocates $230,747 across county programs and departments.
Supervisor Patrick Groseclose moved the appropriation, which allocated $50,000 to the sheriff’s office, $102,000 to the local CSA program, $5,847 to the county library, $52,900 to Bland County Public Schools and $20,000 to the Bland County Rescue Squad. Supervisor Keith Costello seconded the motion; the board recorded yea votes from Costello, Groseclose, Kelley and Chair Randy Johnson.
The board also approved a separate $50,000 transfer within the Sheriff’s Office budget, moving funds from a Selective Enforcement Vehicle line to Communication Equipment. That transfer passed on a unanimous roll call vote.
In other formal actions the board reappointed two members to local boards. Supervisor Stephen Kelley moved to reappoint Haley Painter to the WCC Board and Lucinda Leighton to the Social Services Board for four-year terms through June 30, 2030; the motion carried unanimously.
The board adopted a resolution reaffirming Bland County as a Second Amendment Sanctuary, referencing the county’s original resolution adopted Nov. 26, 2019. The motion to reaffirm was made by Supervisor Keith Costello and seconded by Patrick Groseclose; the board voted unanimously to adopt the resolution.
Supervisors also voted to adopt a resolution certifying a local state of emergency to implement a burn ban beginning April 14, 2026, at 4:00 p.m. That motion was moved by Costello and seconded by Groseclose and passed unanimously.
Administratively, the board approved advertising a public hearing for the FY27 budget and Board of Equalization hearing dates and approved advertisement of proposed ordinances on age and disability tax credits and on bonuses. The board amended the FY27 budget calendar to set a Tax Levy public hearing for May 26, 2026, a joint School Board and County Budget hearing for June 5, 2026, and final adoption dates on June 23, 2026.
During public comment, John Owens raised concerns about alleged inaccuracies, county spending, grant funding and auditor conclusions; Robert Haynes asked about a pending waiver of the $30.60 concealed-carry permit fee and referenced the county’s prior Second Amendment Sanctuary resolution and the night’s planned action. The board later approved waiving the $30.60 permit fee for a school bus stop structure at the request of the Bland County School Board.
James Schwartz, a VDOT residency advisor, presented the Secondary Six-Year Plan to the board; the minutes note the presentation occurred but do not include details of the plan’s contents.
The meeting concluded after unanimous approval of all motions; the board scheduled its next regular meeting for May 26, 2026, at 5:00 p.m.
Votes at a glance: the meeting record shows roll-call yea votes on the consent agenda, the FY26 appropriations and transfers, the reappointment motions, the reaffirmation of the Second Amendment Sanctuary resolution, the $30.60 permit waiver, and the advertisement of ordinances. Several administrative motions (advertising hearings; adopting the FY27 calendar; VDOT signature authority; certification of burn ban) were recorded as carried unanimously.
