Nottoway County adopts $59.3 million FY2026 budget and new levies after heated discussion

Nottoway County’s Board of Supervisors voted to adopt the county’s fiscal year 2026 budget totaling $59,286,424 and a set of tax levies on May 29, 2025, after several hours of discussion over funding for emergency services and local contributions to the school division.

The budget adoption motion passed 4-1 on a roll call vote; the board then adopted the advertised tax levies by the same margin and later passed a separate appropriation for the budget contingent on receipt of state and federal funds by a 5-0 vote.

The dispute centered on new money set aside for emergency medical services and volunteer fire squads and clarification from school officials about a $2.1 million required local match tied to roughly $7 million in state funding. Speaking at the meeting, a school budget representative explained the match and the potential cuts that would follow if the county did not provide the local share. "We base our budget off of a calculation tool that the state provides... It is a big impact. Overall, it's about $7,000,000. That's about 5,000,000 from the state, 2,000,000 from the county," Miss Meyer said, describing the state/local split and the programs that depend on the funding.

Board members debated the scale and pace of proposed increases to support EMS and volunteer fire squads after the county received revised funding requests from volunteer organizations. Supervisors said they want stronger accountability and binding agreements before committing recurring funds to private 501(c)(3) squads. One supervisor said the board will seek memoranda of understanding and representative oversight before releasing funds to volunteers. The board also discussed incentives for volunteer retention, including lowering or eliminating personal property taxes on a volunteer’s primary vehicle as a recruitment tool.

The advertised tax levies the board approved include (as read at the meeting): general county real estate at 48¢ per $100 valuation and general county personal property at $4.12 per $100 valuation; fire fund real estate at 0.022¢ per $100 and fire fund personal property at 18¢ per $100; emergency services fund real estate at 0.05¢ per $100 and emergency services personal property at 0.45¢ per $100. Adoption proceeded after discussion and a competing motion to separate portions of the levy failed to receive a second.

Board members and staff highlighted other budget elements during the meeting: approximately $6 million in grant-funded capital work for HVAC and roof projects in the schools; a roughly $318,000 local appropriation to ANTC (the regional technical center); and several positions and services shifted or reduced from prior budgets (open sheriff positions, a vacant finance director, and reorganization of LRA functions). School officials reported the division’s staffing and program reliance on supplemental state and local funds, noting the division employs about 283 people overall and that the state’s SOQ (Standards of Quality) funding equates to about 63 positions in the state calculation tool.

Supervisors repeatedly stressed that parts of the budget are contingent on the final state calculation tool and receipt of anticipated grants. The board’s chair and finance team described the adopted budget as contingent on "receipts of all outstanding federal and state funding, and all obligated and committed funds to be carried over from the fiscal year ending 06/30/2025," language included in the motion the board approved.

Vice Chair Norton signaled future work on a senior-citizen real-estate tax relief program, saying the county staff and commissioner of the revenue are exploring an income-qualified discount "allowed by the Code of Virginia," and noted private donors have offered to offset the local cost of such a program. Norton said the county will detail eligibility and fiscal impact at a subsequent meeting.

The board also received updates on parallel projects that affect budget planning — including courthouse planning under a PPEA-like procurement process, discussions with potential developers, and possible USDA grant eligibility for certain architectural costs — and said those efforts will continue as the county refines estimates and funding sources.

Votes at a glance

- Adoption of FY2026 budget (motion text adopted as read): "Adopt the Nottoway County budget fiscal year ended 06/30/2026, totaling $59,286,424 as presented, pending receipts of all outstanding federal and state funding, and all obligated and committed funds to be carried over from the fiscal year ending 06/30/2025." Outcome: passed 4-1 (roll call recorded during the meeting).

- Adoption of advertised tax levies (text read at the meeting listing rates for general, fire, and emergency services funds): Outcome: passed 4-1.

- Appropriation of the FY2026 budget (motion text adopted as read): "Appropriate the fiscal year 2025-2026 Nottoway County budget totaling $59,286,424, including all outstanding purchase orders and committed funds contingent upon receipt of all state and federal funding." Outcome: passed 5-0.

Why it matters: The package adds new, recurring local revenue dedicated to public safety and preserves the county’s eligibility to accept state education funds that require a local match. Supervisors said the increases are intended to maintain essential services and county reserves, but they acknowledged the tax changes will be painful for some residents and promised continued oversight, possible adjustments next year, and work to secure grants and economic development to reduce future taxpayer burden.

What’s next: The board directed staff to finalize memoranda of understanding for EMS/fire funding, to provide line-item details on the levies’ impact, and to bring back senior tax-relief eligibility details for further board consideration. The county will also continue PPEA/courthouse procurement steps and pursue grants noted in the meeting.