LYNCHBURG, Va. – Lynchburg City Council determined appointments for three-year terms of office to each school district in a closed session on Tuesday evening.
At about 5:30 p.m., council members came back for an open session to name appointees; however, they did not discuss why these candidates were appointed.
District Appointees:
District 1: Randall Trost (7-0)
District 2: Sharon Carter (5-2)
District 3: Atul Gupta (7-0)
Earlier in the day, the council decided to determine appointments in closed session in a 5-2 vote. Council members arguing for an open session said this is a public matter that impacts several families in the Hill City.
“To make a decision to delay informing the public is something I’m not willing to support at this moment,” said Councilmember Chris Faraldi.
However, the majority said that having a closed session is the way the council has always determined appointments. They argued they’d like to hold off on notifying the public and the press so that they can notify the candidates first.
“If I was a candidate, I would not necessarily want those types of discussions to be publicized openly,” said Councilmember Randy Nelson.
Selected candidates will now undergo a background check before the decision is finalized.
Below is a map of how the city is divided into its three districts: