Cross County Emergency Service Funding, Roosters in R-1, and Sheriff’s Office Asset Upgrades Lead Budget Discussion

As the Fiscal Year 2027 Departmental and Outside Agency Budget requests proceed toward the FY-2027 July 1, 2026 start, the Warren County Board of Supervisors continues to hear from applicants for County-assisted operational funding, largely funded by citizen tax-paying revenue.

On Tuesday afternoon at 1 p.m., that trend continued, with the 1 p.m. meeting adjourned into a series of budget work sessions. Those work session items included:

2. FY 27 Budget Request – Revenue Projections / Tax Rate Scenario – Janice Shanks, Alisa Scott, Finance Director, Sherry Sours, Commissioner of the Revenue

EXPLANATION & SUMMARY: Revenue Projections and Tax Rate scenarios will be presented to the Board of Supervisors.

Finance Director Alisa Scott introduces the Revenue and Tax Rate overview. Below, Treasurer Janice Shanks, left, and Commissioner of Revenue Sherry Sours take their work session turns on the FY-2027 County Budget Overview in front of an empty meeting room except for the Sheriff’s Office staff in the back, awaiting their turn as the final work session item. Royal Examiner Photos Roger Bianchini

3. FY 27 Budget Request – Commissioner of the Revenue – Sherry Sours, Commissioner of the Revenue — COST & FINANCING: $1,044,335.65 – Total Request
4. FY 27 Budget Request – Treasurer – Janice Shanks
5. FY 27 Budget Request – Finance & Purchasing – Alisa Scott, Finance Director
6. FY 27 Budget Request – Sheriff’s Office – Crystal Cline, Sheriff

Oh, and about those Roosters — the lead-off work session topic was:

1. Discussion of a proposed Zoning Text Amendment for Rooster Exception to Backyard Chickens in the Residential-One (R-1) Zoning District – Staff Report Kelly Wahl, Acting Zoning Administrator

Those Roosters and the meeting topic of cross-county funding for Emergency Services from Rappahannock County to the Chester Gap area in the southern portion of Warren County appeared to be the two most public-interest topics at this point in the budget process for Fiscal Year 2027.

County Planner and Interim Planner Director Kelly Wahl addressed the variables of the proposed zoning amendment that allows the addition of Roosters to Chicken coops in R-1 residential zoning districts. Below are graphics summarizing those pros and cons. It was noted that the Planning Commission had recommended denial by a 4-0 vote with one abstention.

Though that “Revenue Projections/Tax Rate Scenario” addressed by multiple departments, including Treasurer Janice Shanks, Finance Director Alisa Scott, and Commissioner of the Revenue Sherry Sours, may eventually catch up.

But as of now, as previously reported, emergency response in a southern portion of the county relies heavily on units from a nearby Rappahannock Emergency Services station.

Life & Death Decisions

In fact, one of the County speakers supporting the necessary funding to maintain that cross-county relationship was former Warren County Public Schools official Alan Fox. Fox rose to the podium to tell the county’s elected officials that, if not for the cross-county response arrangement between Warren and Rappahannock Counties Emergency Services, he wouldn’t be alive to address the board.

As readers may recall a few years ago Fox was struck by a passing vehicle as he was attempting to change a blown flat tire on the side of a major north/south thoroughfare as he was headed home in the Chester Gap area.

At Tuesday’s meeting, staff presented the board with an already past March 2nd deadline to respond to Rappahannock’s proposal for additional funding in the amount of $45,300 to support 3 months of service in Warren County.

The Warren supervisors and staff considered the potential for an immediate acceptance of a split-funding request for that portion of the Rappahannock Fire & Rescue Department. However, with the request coming before Warren County’s review and final decisions on Fire & Rescue Departmental funding for its 2026/27 Fiscal Year, a compromise was suggested.

Fire Chief James Bonzano at the podium as Deputy Chief Gerry Maiatico awaits his turn in the front row as various elements of Fire & Rescue costs and operations are addressed during the meeting.

That compromise was the acceptance of one month of funding for the Rappahannock Emergency Services station at $15,100, one-third of the  three-month amount, until Warren County had determined its final budget commitments for the coming Fiscal Year/2027.

Following public comments and board discussion, the one-month funding approval pending final decisions on its overall Emergency Services budget was approved by a 4-1 vote on a motion by Tony Carter, seconded by late arrival Hugh Henry. Richard Jamieson cast the lone dissenting vote.

A final response to the Rappahannock request was forecast for one of the board’s April meetings. Further communication with Rappahannock officials on any needed changes to the Warren response was suggested.

A portion of the staff summary of the matter presented these statistics:

“As part of the Matrix Consulting Group’s 2026 Warren County Fire and Rescue Station Staffing Review, it is shown that the Chester Gap VFD (Volunteer Fire Department) covers 5.6% of the population, 7.4% of the County area, and 2% of the total calls for service. The Front Royal VFD covers 34.8% of the population, 6.7% of the County area, and 49.9% of the total calls for Service. Based upon this data, it is recommended that the Board of Supervisors follow the staffing recommendations as laid out in the 2026 Matrix Staffing Study.”

Of course, those stats don’t include what we’ll call the “Fox Variable” of lives saved by a first and early response arrival from across county lines.

The work session wrapped up with the Sheriff’s Office presenting needed, some long-overdue, “asset replacements” of different kinds. Those included vehicles, bullet-resistant vests, lasers, and the introduction of drones for potentially violent emergency responses, among other items.

Sheriff Crystal Cline and Captain Charles Brogan presented the WCSO budget proposal, including examples of various items that are significantly behind schedule for replacement.

See Sheriff Crystal Cline and Captain Charles Brogan’s presentation begin at the 1:16:20 mark of the linked work session video. Those interested in additional details about the meeting and work session should note that there are separate County videos for this story.

Click here to watch the Warren County Board of Supervisors Work Session of March 3, 2026.

Click here to watch the Warren County Board of Supervisors Meeting of March 3, 2026.