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Spotsylvania staff present cost of matching proposed 1.5% state employee bonus
Summary
County staff told the Board the FY26 state budget is expected to include a one-time 1.5% bonus for state-funded positions; implementing a local match for non-state-funded employees would cost about $872,000 and could be paid from one-time fund balance.
Spotsylvania County staff told supervisors on Monday they expect the FY 2026 Virginia state budget to include a one-time 1.5% bonus for employees funded by the state and outlined the county cost to match that bonus for locally funded employees.
Julie, a county budget staff member, told the board, “It is anticipated that the FY '26 state budget will include a 1.5% bonus for all full time employees effective 07/01/2025.” She said staff calculated costs for state-funded positions and presented an optional local match for employees the state does not fully fund.
The county’s analysis lists the cost to implement the one-time bonus for the Department of Social Services as $145,394 and the combined compensation-board funded departments (sheriff’s office, commissioner of revenue, treasurer, commonwealth’s attorney, clerk of court) as $224,770. Staff said the state supplement does not fully fund compensation-board departments, so not all employees in those departments would receive the state bonus unless the board funds a local match.
Staff also presented the additional local (general fund) cost if the board chose to match the bonus for non-state-supported employees: approximately $872,000. Julie said that use of existing one-time fund balance would be an eligible funding source and that no action was required at the work session; the item was provided for supervisory consideration.
Supervisor questions focused on fairness between employees paid by the compensation board and those paid locally and whether adopting the match would increase ongoing costs. Julie emphasized the match as a one-time use of fund balance and that the decision to implement a local match would be at the board’s discretion.
The board did not take formal action on the bonus at the work session. Staff said the matter would remain available for the board’s final budget discussions and that if the board wants to act quickly, they could vote on a tax rate at an upcoming meeting and finalize budget resolutions later.
