Powhatan advertises 75¢ tax rate as county and schools spar over FY26 funding and behavioral program pilot

Powhatan County supervisors voted March 6 to advertise a proposed real-estate tax rate of $0.75 per $100 of assessed value (75¢) as the county and school board continued a joint review of the county and Powhatan County Public Schools’ draft fiscal 2026 budgets.

The vote came at a joint budget workshop at which County Administrator Brett Shardine presented the county’s draft FY26 operating budget and 10-year financial forecast and Superintendent Dr. Teigen outlined the school division’s FY26 request, a roughly $1.6 million gap in the schools’ plan and a separate request that the county consider providing $2.0 million in additional support.

Shardine told the boards the draft county budget would hold general fund operating spending near $32.8 million, a roughly 6.3% increase over the prior year funded by assessment growth, new construction and a proposed 3¢ increase over the current 69¢ tax rate (the draft started at 72¢). The draft includes a proposed $1.5 million increase to the school transfer, a 3% general pay increase countywide, and the net addition of about 3.4 full-time equivalent positions. He said the county’s revenue projection for all funds is about $82.7 million, and that the draft meets the county’s policy targets for fund balance and debt under the model assumptions.

“If we adopted the 72¢ rate and didn’t change that for the next 10 years ……