A proclamation for Child Abuse Prevention Month announcing the Children’s Memorial Flay Day Ceremony on Apr. 4, at noon, was signed by the Greenbrier County Commissioners during the meeting on Tuesday.

Pinwheels will be displayed on the courthouse lawn from Apr. 4 – May 5 to represent Greenbrier County children lost to abuse, with each pinwheel representing seven children. A kickoff for Child Abuse Prevention Month will be held at the Rupert Children Shelter on Apr. 3. CASA Executive Director Jenny Castle asked the community to wear blue on Fridays during the month to show support for child abuse prevention.

In other business:

• Elected officials, department heads and other county budgeted entities presented their budget requests to the commission for the 2017-2018 fiscal year. No less than six presenters, including prosecuting attorney Patrick Via, Home Confinement Director Leona Roberts, Assessor Joe Darnell, Day Report Director Laura Legg, County Clerk Robin Loudermilk and Fiduciary Joni Harrah, requested no change to their budgets from last year, while Kelly Banton, commission clerk, and Sheriff Bruce Sloan reduced their budgets from last year. Homeland Security and 911 Executive Director Al Whitaker and Kay Davis, who oversees the 4-H Extension Office, asked for increases in employee salaries in order to retain staffing.

Darnell said revenues for the county are actually down in spite of the positive growth of real estate sales and new construction. The downward trend, he said, is due to the loss of personal property and vehicles resultant from the flood disaster last June. Commission President Woody Hanna thanked those department heads for not asking for more than needed in their budget projections.

• Legg requested the commission sign off on a $294,000 grant application from the Division of Justice and Community Services. She also asked for approval to transfer a Day Report employee, Beth O’Dell, to fill an opening in the lab.
• The commission approved the appointment of Sgt. Andy Evans with the West Virginia State Police Department and Sgt. Bart Baker with the Sheriff’s Office to serve on the 911 Advisory Board.
• The commission reminds those applying for Greenbrier County Arts and Recreation grants that the deadline for submitting those applications to the county commission’s office at the courthouse must be no later than 4:30 p.m. on Friday, Mar. 17.