Amelia County board adopts 2025-26 budget, rejects 10¢ personal-property cut; approves employee bonuses

The Amelia County governing body voted on its 2025–26 budget and on an employee bonus ordinance during a special meeting, rejecting an amendment to lower the personal-property tax rate and approving the ordinance for employee bonuses.

The vote on the proposed budget included a failed amendment to lower the personal-property tax rate from $4.35 to $4.25 per $100 of assessed value. Dexter, a board member, proposed the change and also proposed increasing the county's elderly and disabled tax-relief income threshold by 10% from $30,000 to $33,000. The board discussed estimates of revenue impact and financial caution before taking the roll call. After discussion, the amendment to lower the personal-property rate failed on a 3-2 recorded vote; the board then completed the budget vote as presented without that 10¢ reduction.

The board also approved an employee bonus ordinance that had been advertised with the budget public notice. A social-services staff member told the board the ordinance needed to be in ordinance form to be valid; a motion to approve the employee bonus ordinance was made and "motion carries," according to the transcript.

Board members debated whether to return surplus funds to taxpayers or retain them for county needs. One member said the county projects a positive balance this cycle but raised concerns about unresolved audit deficiencies and incomplete final numbers from prior cycles, arguing for caution. Other members urged returning some of the projected surplus to taxpayers and expanding tax relief for elderly residents who narrowly lost eligibility under the current $30,000 threshold.

Directives to staff included preparing the necessary ordinance language and supporting information for the proposed increase in the elderly and disabled tax-relief income limit for presentation at the June meeting and scheduling the required public hearing; the board noted that, because an ordinance change is required, the measure could not take effect immediately and likely would not be voted on until July after the required advertising and hearing.

The meeting record also notes earlier pauses on capital-improvement projects, including a CTE building project cited by a member, and multiple members said they had received calls from residents about taxes. The board discussed projected surplus figures (members mentioned a projected $347,000 balance and roughly $140,000 available in discussion) but also acknowledged uncertainty in final accounting and that some CIP projects remain underfunded.

No final adoption date for an ordinance changing the elderly and disabled tax-relief income limit was set in the meeting; staff said a draft ordinance already exists and will be placed on the June agenda for public hearing and further action.