Lynchburg’s Communications Department Budget Jumps 58% Amid Push for Message Control
- Lynchburg Herald
- Apr 16
- 2 min read
A proposed 58.4% increase in the Department of Communications and Public Engagement’s budget has sparked questions about whether the City of Lynchburg is prioritizing narrative management over transparent governance.
According to the City Manager’s FY2026 budget proposal, the department’s budget would rise from $1,035,981 in FY2025 to $1,640,529 — a $604,548 increase. The lion’s share of this increase, approximately $598,000, is dedicated to new salaries and employee benefits as the city restructures and centralizes its communications apparatus.
The budget increase comes amid other significant funding priorities and rising tensions between City Council and city staff on matters ranging from library oversight to school capital planning.
New Positions, Transfers from Other Departments
The staffing expansion reflects the creation of a new full-time Communications Coordinator I position, along with the formal transfer of several communications-related roles from other city departments to the centralized communications office.
Transferred roles include:
1 full-time Public Relations Manager
2 full-time Communications Managers
1 full-time Communications Coordinator II
According to the budget document, this restructuring is intended to “add consistency and effectiveness to all City communications.”
But some observers note the move could also concentrate public messaging authority in a department that serves the unelected city bureaucracy — not the elected City Council members tasked with setting policy direction.
Narrative Management or Civic Engagement?
The official name of the department — “Communications and Public Engagement” — suggests a mission rooted in community outreach and transparency. However, the scope and scale of the proposed budget raise questions about whether the department’s true purpose is to shape public perception of city policy rather than facilitate dialogue between residents and their government.
The line item for “Contractual Services” also received a $50,000 boost in the City Manager’s proposed budget for the management of the city’s amphitheater — a relatively minor expenditure compared to the jump in personnel costs, but one that underscores the department’s expanding responsibilities beyond traditional communications.
Lynchburg Budget Breakdown
Key increases include:
Salaries & Benefits: +$597,954 (new and reclassified positions)
Software Subscriptions & Charges: +$23,716 (recoding of existing costs)
Contractual Services: +$50,000 (amphitheater management)
While there was a $17,974 decrease in some contractual services due to internal transfers, the net impact is a substantial upward revision of the department’s financial footprint.
Broader Budget Context
This proposed increase in communications spending comes as Lynchburg residents prepare to weigh in on the broader FY2026 city budget, which includes a proposed $9.6 million tax increase and a 7% overall spending increase from the previous year. The public hearing is scheduled for April 22, where citizens can provide input on the communications budget, among other items.
As city departments seek more funding, public scrutiny is mounting. Critics argue that city government should prioritize essential services and infrastructure — not “message management” — especially in an environment of rising taxes and deferred maintenance on core facilities like fire stations and schools.
Comments