Nelson County supervisors hear FY2026 budget overview that holds tax rates, boosts school funding and funds DSS project

Nelson County Board of Supervisors held a public hearing May 13 on the proposed fiscal year 2026 budget, during which county staff presented a balanced general fund budget of $51,088,536 that keeps existing tax rates and increases the county's local contribution to schools.

Grace, a county staff member who presented the overview, said the budget covers the period July 1, 2025, through June 30, 2026, and is based on budgetary information available when the public hearing was advertised. She told the board that all tax rates shown, except the transient occupancy tax, are levied per $100 of assessed value and that the real estate and mobile-home tax rate remains 65 cents per $100 of assessed value.

The nut graf: the proposed general fund is balanced at $51,088,536 and relies on a mix of local, state and federal revenue plus a FY2025 year-end balance. The presentation highlights increases in local revenue and a larger local contribution to Nelson County Public Schools (NCPS) while preserving existing tax rates and funding several capital and public-safety items.

County staff said local revenue is expected to provide about 79.9% of total budgeted revenue ($40,832,717), state revenues about 9.9% ($5,073,398) and…