Westmoreland County proposes $46.8 million FY26 budget with no change to real-estate tax rate; public hearing set for April 14

County Administrator presented the Westmoreland County proposed fiscal year 2026 budget totaling $46,800,000 and said the proposal holds the real-estate tax rate at $0.68 per $100 of assessed value while prioritizing public education, public safety, human services and buildings and grounds.

The proposal was presented at the Board of Supervisors' March 24 meeting and the board voted to advertise the tax rates on March 25, hold a public hearing April 14 and consider adopting the budget April 28. Garrett Adams, the county's budget manager, told the board the advertised rates will show “no change” and outlined the schedule for advertising and hearing public comment.

Why it matters: The budget funds schools, the sheriff’s office, emergency medical services and community partners; it also sets capital planning and staffing priorities that will affect service levels and recruitment in the coming year.

Key revenue and spending points

County Administrator said the budget projects a roughly $750,000 increase in tax revenues — primarily from new construction — an investment income increase of about $147,000 and an estimated $2,000,000 in carryover funds to apply to FY26. A land sale expected to generate about $980,000 has been assigned to Judicial Center HVAC work.

On the expenditure side, the proposal includes a salary-market adjustment with a price tag of a little over $1 million, a 3% across-the-board salary increase, and implementation of a hazardous-duty retirement multiplier for law enforcement and EMS (estimated cost about $100,000 a year). The Children's Services Act (CSA) is budgeted to increase roughly $200,000. County Administrator: “This proposed budget aims to have a tax rate stability while focusing on our priorities of public education, public safety, human services, workforce, and buildings and grounds.”

Staffing and program changes

The package budgets several new or clarified positions: a Director of Economic Development (already budgeted in the current year and under recruitment), a code compliance officer and erosion-and-sediment inspector for Land Use, a plant-operator floater for Public Utilities, and three seasonal groundskeeper positions for mowing and parks maintenance. The budget continues or increases support for regional partners including the Middle Peninsula–Northern Neck Community Services Board, the Central Rappahannock Regional Library and adds the Boys & Girls Club as a new partner.

School funding and capital

The local share for Westmoreland County Public Schools is budgeted to increase by $363,000 (about 3%). The county administrator said state funding estimates remain draft and the county will adjust when final numbers are released; capital projects identified by the schools will be planned through a separate prioritization process.

Presentations that informed the budget vote

Sheriff Alderson presented the sheriff’s budget request and emphasized fleet and staffing pressures. He said vehicle mileage for patrol units averages about 30,000 miles per year and noted that the department requested funding for three patrol vehicles and one animal-control vehicle. On using retirees to cover shifts, the sheriff said additional part-time funding (about $35,000 requested) could reduce overtime: “they don't have to be trained. These folks have been here for 20, 30 years, so they know the job.” He also warned that large-scale events can create substantial overtime costs; board members later cited weekend expenses in the range of $20,000–$30,000 for heavy event periods.

Chief of Emergency Services (Chief Byrd) described EMS operations and asked the board to prioritize retention and vehicle replacement. He said the department now handles roughly 4,000 calls annually (up from about 1,500 a decade earlier) and that revenue recovery is about $1.1 million for the year. On the county’s mobile integrated health (MIH) program, he said federal grant funds had paid startup costs and equipment; the grant ends this coming August and the department is asking the county to budget the MIH staff position going forward. On radios and ambulances he warned the county is approaching the end of the current public-safety radio system's lifecycle and said replacement planning should begin soon.

Donna Cogswell presented Maintenance and Public Utilities items, noting there is no increase to the monthly utility fee (stated in the presentation as $42 per month, billed every two months). She said connection fees will increase because installation and material costs for grinder stations have risen (example figures presented: a grinder station in Washington District rising from $10,022 to $12,801). Cogswell reported 3,719 sewer connections so far in FY25 (an increase of 107 over the prior year) and requested a plant-operator floater position to provide continuous coverage across wastewater facilities; she also described needed electrical-panel upgrades at one treatment plant and an ongoing vehicle-replacement need for maintenance crews.

Board action

The board voted to advertise the proposed tax rates and schedule a public hearing. The motion to advertise the tax rates and schedule the hearing passed with recorded votes: Miss Henson—Aye; Miss McCormick—Aye; Miss Ingram—Aye; Miss Tribute—Aye; Chair—Aye. The county will publish the advertised rates in the newspaper as required and accept public comment at the April 14 hearing.

What’s next

The county will post the proposed budget to the county website, advertise the tax rates, and hold a public hearing April 14 before returning to the board for adoption on April 28. Budget manager Garrett Adams said the proposed budget will be available on the website the morning after the meeting.