Fauquier County’s proposed FY2026 budget would raise real-estate rate 3 cents as residents urge fuller school and public-safety funding

The Fauquier County Board of Supervisors held a public hearing on the fiscal year 2026 proposed budget, which County budget staff presented as totaling approximately $441,480,000 with an overall real-estate tax rate of $0.973 per $100 of assessed value — an increase of three cents in the general rate compared with FY2025. The county said the average homeowner’s tax bill under the proposal would rise by $138.13 annually. The presentation also showed a proposed capital improvement program (CIP) of about $151,100,000 through FY2030.

The hearing drew extensive public comment focused on school funding and teacher pay, plus separate remarks in support of fire-and-rescue staffing and equipment. Commenters repeatedly urged the board to fully fund the Fauquier County Public Schools (FCPS) request so the division can increase teacher pay and address a personnel shortage affecting classroom and specialist positions.

County budget presenter Ms. Dribling summarized the proposal’s headline numbers and tax effects during the hearing. She told the board the FY2026 proposed budget includes no change to the fire-and-rescue levy or the conservation easement service district rate and no change in personal property tax rates from FY2025.

School leaders and staff said the county’s request leaves FCPS with unresolved vacancies and uncompetitive pay. Christy Thorpe, principal of C. Hunter Ritchie Elementary, and Eric Kersey, principal of Greenville Elementary, told the board the elementary schools face a large number of openings: about 14 general-education classroom vacancies and 31 specialist and classified vacancies that affect “hundreds of students,” the principals said. They described the shortage as a hiring crisis and urged the board to approve the full salary request the school board submitted.

“Without competitive salaries, we cannot attract or retain the high-quality educators and staff our students deserve,” the principals said in remarks representing the county’s elementary principals.

Susan Pauling, chair of the Fauquier County School Board, described the school board’s original request as a $2,800,000 increase to the school operating transfer; she said the county administrator’s proposed budget allocated $1,400,000 to the schools and that the school board amended its request to align with that proposal. Pauling warned the board that failing to provide at least the state-allocated teacher increase could cost the division federal/state funding and said, “If we do not increase salaries by 3%, we will be forced to surrender a million dollars back to the state.”

Teachers, parents and students from across the county gave examples of how pay gaps with neighboring jurisdictions affect retention. Multiple speakers cited neighboring counties’ salary actions — Culpeper with higher starting pay, Prince William with larger increases and retention bonuses — and said Fauquier’s proposed 3% county contribution would leave the county behind. Several speakers requested restoring the school board’s original 4% request.

Danielle Dean, a member of the School Board (Marshall District), asked the board to review how the county allocates the $40,000,000 health fund that covers employee benefits. Dean said FCPS has approximately 1,800 employees compared with roughly 500 county employees and urged a more proportional split of the health fund, arguing the current 50/50 allocation does not reflect employer-size and buying power.

Public safety and county services also drew comment. Kenneth Thiem, speaking for the International Association of Fire Fighters Local 3762, thanked the board for prior staffing increases and urged continued support for fire-and-rescue staffing and equipment, including replacements for self-contained breathing apparatus, breathing-air compressors and portable radios. “Leadership requires both courage and vision,” Thiem said, praising the board’s past decisions and urging continued funding for life-safety services.

Other speakers raised related budget concerns, including landfill improvements, economic development, and the county’s reliance on residential property taxes. Several residents said they prefer funding schools and public safety even if it means higher taxes; others warned against shifting to regressive revenue sources such as a local sales tax.

No formal vote on the FY2026 budget occurred during the hearing. The public hearing record will inform the board’s next budget work sessions and any future vote on tax rates and the final FY2026 appropriation.

Votes and formal actions: none recorded at the public hearing stage; the board opened and closed the hearing and accepted public comment.