Hanover County holds public hearings on FY26 budget, proposes keeping tax rate at 81 cents

The Hanover County Board of Supervisors on April 2 held two public hearings on the fiscal year 2026 budget, a five‑year capital improvements program and a proposed real property tax rate, with county staff proposing to maintain the current rate at 81 cents per $100 of assessed value.

Budget director Shelly Wright told the board the all‑funds budget was advertised at $781,900,000 and is expected to be about $782,200,000 after a reserve amendment presented to the board in March. Wright described a capital improvements program that budgets $165,600,000 in year one and $521,800,000 in the following four years; highlighted projects include $10,600,000 for an East Side parallel taxiway at the airport (design slated to begin in FY29), $11,000,000 in park improvements, replacement of two elementary schools and major upgrades at the Totopotomoy wastewater treatment plant.

The second hearing focused on the real property tax rate. Wright reiterated that maintaining the advertised 81‑cent rate would fund growth in county obligations — including salaries and operating costs — while an “equalized” rate of 79 cents would generate roughly the same revenue given a 3.1% increase in assessments.

Why this matters: the hearings set the record for public comment before the board takes a final vote on the budget and tax rate. If the board keeps the 81‑cent rate, homeowners will pay more in total taxes this year because of assessment growth; if it reduces the rate toward 79 cents, revenue would remain roughly flat despite higher assessed values.

Public commenters addressed school capacity, mental‑health services, teacher pay and county spending priorities. Bob Nelson of the Ashland District urged the board to include $8 million for an eight‑classroom addition to Cool Spring Elementary School, saying the addition would prevent redistricting that he said would deny 154 children neighborhood access to the school. Nelson argued the county has received substantial tax revenue from his area and asked the board to “Fund an addition to Cool Spring Elementary School on April 9.”

Mary Butler Eggleston, chair of the Hanover County Community Services Board, voiced the board’s support for the county administrator’s proposed budget and highlighted services for mental health, developmental disabilities and substance‑use treatment. Eggleston said Hanover CSB served more than 2,300 people last year and noted the crisis team’s 24/7 response; she praised coordination on the Marcus Alert and implementation of 988 and said, “I stand here before you and can say without a shadow of a doubt, Jacob would not be here today without the CSB.”

John Syswick, representing Hanover Professional Educators, said the association endorses the school board’s proposed FY26 budget and supports a 3% salary increase for all school employees. Syswick requested that any state‑authorized $1,000 bonus also be added into school employees’ salaries and asked the county to target additional funds toward administrative support staff, instructional assistants and long‑tenured teachers.

Miles Diamond of the South Anna District spoke in opposition to keeping the tax rate at current levels, urging the board to “decrease bloated government” and cut programs rather than raise or maintain taxes. “The only thing that folks feel like they're getting from the county is fleeced,” he said.

Board members defended county services in their remarks. Chairman Herzberg said he believes Hanover has “the best public school system in the region by far,” praised the county’s law enforcement and fire/EMS staffing and noted Hanover’s triple‑A bond rating as evidence of fiscal strength. A board member said further comments would be offered at the next meeting when the board votes on the budget.

The public hearings were closed after oral comments. The board scheduled further consideration and a vote on the FY26 budget and related ordinances at its next meeting on April 9, when the record of public comments will inform final amendments and decisions.