McDowell County leaders have set a public budget hearing for Thursday, September 25, and residents are being urged to show up and speak out. The evening session will review plans for the county’s 2026 spending—everything from road repairs and emergency services to flood-recovery funds—at a time when federal aid is tightening and coal-related revenues keep sliding. Preliminary notices posted this week outline an agenda that touches on issues close to home: how to stretch dwindling state support, which infrastructure projects will be prioritized, and what economic-development programs might keep younger families from leaving.

County officials say the session is meant to gather ideas before the final budget is drafted, giving neighbors a rare chance to steer decisions that affect every hollow and ridge. The stakes are high.

Federal disaster money is still arriving in fits and starts after the February floods, while nonprofits warn of possible service cuts if funding shrinks again. Commissioners have promised an open microphone for residents to share concerns and suggestions. For those who have weathered mine closures, long commutes, and years of underfunded public works, the September 25 hearing is more than a line on a civic calendar.

It’s a moment to press for action and to remind decision-makers that the county’s future depends on the voices of the people who live here.