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Citizens urge rollback of recent tax increases at James City County FY2026 pre-budget hearing
Summary
At a pre-budget public hearing, residents urged the Board of Supervisors to roll back recent property tax increases and search for efficiencies; no board action was requested at this meeting.
James City County held a pre-budget public hearing on the FY 2026 budget on Jan. 14, during which several residents urged supervisors to lower property tax rates and find spending efficiencies.
Sharon McCarthy, county staff, said the session’s purpose was to gather citizen comments to guide staff as they prepare a formal budget proposal. No board action was requested at this time. Several residents spoke during the public-comment portion.
Resident Stephen Mains said the board raised property taxes by 10% three years ago and by 21% last year and urged supervisors to set the mill rate at 78 cents to retain the previously discussed rebate and ultimately reduce the rate to 72 cents in FY 2026. “I urge you to immediately set the mill rate at 78 cents to lock in the rebate that you agreed we needed this year,” Mains said.
Susan Franz, another resident, supported lowering the mill rate and said the county should seek inefficiencies to reduce spending; she questioned library expenditures such as mobile hotspots. Resident Terry Ricks and Jack Garliatrio also expressed concern about the burden on pensioners and households on fixed incomes, saying higher taxes reduce affordability and push workers to commute from lower-tax communities.
Board members did not act at the hearing; staff recorded the comments to inform the upcoming budget proposal.
