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Council approves $1.23M supplemental to cover Children's Services Act local match after audit flagged governance issues
Summary
Council approved a $1,231,557 supplemental appropriation to cover Harrisonburg's FY25 local match for the Children's Services Act, after city and county jointly served 602 youth and a state audit identified governance and operational deficiencies; CPMT submitted a 26‑part quality improvement plan.
Harrisonburg City Council on Oct. 14 approved a $1,231,557 supplemental appropriation to cover the city’s local match for the Children's Services Act (CSA) after staff explained the FY25 total match exceeded the budgeted amount.
Deputy City Manager Amy Snyder, the city’s appointee to the CSA Community Policy and Management Team (CPMT), said the joint city‑county CSA served 602 children in FY25 and that the state required local match for FY25 totaled about $3.1 million while the local budget included $1.9 million, leaving a roughly $1.23 million shortfall that the council must fund to pay outstanding invoices.
Snyder told council the Office of Children's Services completed an audit covering the program and found major deficiencies in governance and internal controls; CPMT submitted a 26‑part quality improvement plan in response and is implementing additional trainings, policy reviews and staff changes. She said some corrective actions already produced reductions in one high‑spending service category (mentoring) and pledged ongoing monitoring and periodic reporting to council.
Council members pressed for more frequent updates and data breakdowns (for example, the share of cases attributed to city vs. county residents). Snyder committed to return with additional data and to report progress on the improvement plan; the appropriation to pay the invoiced local match was approved by roll call.
