Goochland officials present proposed FY2026 budget, keep tax rate at 53¢ while planning new public-safety hires and capital projects

Interim County Administrator outlined Goochland County’s proposed fiscal 2026 budget at a town-hall presentation, saying the county will hold the real-estate tax rate at 53¢ while proposing new public-safety hires and several capital projects.

The presentation said the county is proposing a 3% cost-of-living adjustment for county employees; adding 11 positions in public safety (six for fire and rescue, five for the sheriff’s office); and a 6% increase in the county’s contribution to schools, described as roughly $1,800,000. Administration also listed capital requests including about $2.5 million for fire and rescue equipment, $1.3 million for information services, and $1.7 million for schools.

Why it matters: keeping the tax rate steady while expanding services is the county’s stated attempt to balance resident expectations for public safety and infrastructure with fiscal restraint. County leaders tied the approach to steady assessment growth and a policy of using surplus funds to pay as-you-go for capital projects.

Key facts and budget context - The interim administrator said Goochland has held the real-estate tax rate at 53¢ (per $100 of assessed value) while assessed value rose from $8,620,000,000 in 2024 to $9,600,000,000 in the current assessment — an increase the presentation quantified as about $980,000,000 (roughly 11.4%). - Proposed year-over-year general-fund variance was described as about a 10.2% increase in expenditures for the county proposal; the general-fund increase versus the adopted FY2025 budget was described as nearly $6,000,000. - The county proposes to fund capital needs from a mix of current revenues, grants, and the fund balance. The presentation identified a five-year capital need that includes roughly $39,000,000 for courthouse and school projects over five years.

Surplus (fund balance) and tax-rate questions During audience Q&A a resident pressed whether the board would consider reducing the tax rate from 53¢ to the “effective rate” of 49¢. The interim administrator said the county maintains a fund-balance target (recently lowered from 60% to 35%) and that the county currently has roughly $60,000,000 in total fund balance, with some amounts already allocated to future projects. The administrator said that, because planned positions and purchases have been budgeted (the five deputies, six fire positions, one building-inspections position and one assistant attorney were named), it could be too late in the process to lower the rate this year without putting those items in doubt. The administrator invited the resident to present detailed proposals and said the board would consider workshops where the public could participate.

Operational priorities and constraints The presentation emphasized public safety as the main area of budget growth and said Goochland competes for staff with neighboring localities such as Henrico and Chesterfield. The administrator described conservative revenue forecasting and the possibility of late General Assembly actions that can affect budgets.

Process and next steps Public hearings on the tax rate and budget-related fees were announced for April 1; the presentation said the board aims to adopt the budget on April 15. The administrator said formal budget work began months earlier with departmental meetings and joint sessions with the schools.

Discussion points (not decisions) - The county described applying surpluses to the CIP (“pay as you build”), citing prior use of cash to fund Company 6 fire station and plans for Company 8 (bidding this fall). - The administrator touted steady financial practices and noted the county’s AAA ratings as evidence of fiscal stewardship.

Ending Officials encouraged residents to attend the April hearings and to submit written proposals if they wished the board to consider changes before adoption.