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Fluvanna supervisors approve 31.5% pay increase for board, effective Jan. 1, 2026, after split vote
Summary
Following debate about time commitments and optics amid rising property values and county budgets, the Fluvanna Board of Supervisors voted 3-2 to raise supervisor and chair pay by an average of 31.5% effective Jan. 1, 2026, with the one-time fiscal-year-2026 impact to be funded from BOS contingency.
The Fluvanna Board of Supervisors voted 3-2 on June 18 to raise its own annual compensation effective Jan. 1, 2026. The motion, described by proponents as an adjustment toward regional per-capita benchmarks, passed after a split vote.
The board's motion increased pay across the three categories (chair, vice chair, members) by a board-wide average of 31.5%; proponents said the percentage represented a midpoint between local comparative benchmarks and the county's peer group per-capita averages. The chair's annual pay increase equated to roughly a $3,400 rise under the figures discussed at the meeting. The motion directed the fiscal-year-2026 cost to be covered from the board's contingency account.
Supporters said the role's time commitment has grown and that compensation had lagged regional comparators. "The amount of time I spend ... I'm busier now than when I worked 40 hours a week," one supervisor said in support of increasing pay for elected officials. Opponents noted recent property-value changes and a recent tax increase in the county and argued the year was the wrong time to increase board pay; one supervisor said increasing pay during a year with marked assessment increases would send the wrong message to residents.
The motion passed on a 3-2 vote; meeting minutes show the chair voted in favor and the motion carried. The board also discussed the statutory timing for board-salary adjustments (the Code of Virginia requires boards to set salary ahead of the next term) and whether to tie salary decisions to health-insurance costs for members; one supervisor said they would support pay increases only if they covered maximum health benefits for board members who elect family coverage.
The board did not publish a detailed fiscal-year-2026 cost schedule at the meeting; staff said the immediate budget impact for the half-year portion of FY26 would be handled from the BOS contingency line. Supervisors said they would continue to review comparative salary data and bring further budget-level detail to the appropriate budget process.
