Louisa County presents $188.4 million FY2026 proposal; no tax rate increase recommended

Louisa County officials on April 7 presented a proposed fiscal year 2026 budget totaling $188.4 million and told residents the plan does not include a tax-rate increase.

Finance staff presented revenue and expense changes that produced an operating increase of $18.7 million and revenue increases of $12.9 million. The proposal includes an operating surplus of about $10.2 million and capital projects totaling about $13.5 million. “We are not recommending a tax increase,” a county finance presenter said during the hearing.

The board and staff highlighted several policy choices tied to that revenue picture. The draft budget would hold the advertised tax rate steady while using available reserves and one-time revenue to (a) provide a targeted real-estate tax rebate and (b) increase the maximum elderly tax…