Lee County adopts FY2025–26 budget, sets real-estate tax at $0.69 per $100 after public hearing

JONESVILLE, Va. — The Lee County Board of Supervisors on June 25 adopted the fiscal year 2025–26 budget and set the real-property tax rate at $0.69 per $100 of assessed value after a public hearing on a proposed tax increase.

The board approved a total adopted budget of $101,649,644 for fiscal year 2025–26, and formally adopted Resolution 25-008 to appropriate the budget. Board action followed a public hearing at which residents pressed supervisors about large increases in individual assessments, the county's school funding request and county services.

At the hearing county staff explained how the new rate applies to an assessed value. A staff member walked through a $100,000 example: "If you took a $100,000 and multiply it times the 69¢ per 100 tax rate, that would be $690," the staff member said.

The county noted that the total assessed value of real property increased by 46.06 percent compared with last year (including added value from new construction or improvements). Officials said the lower tax rate that would have kept total revenue the same given the larger assessment roll would be $0.5515 per $100 of assessed value; the board set the rate at $0.69 per $100, which the county characterized in hearing materials as an effective rate increase of 33.98 percent compared with that lower breakeven rate. County staff and residents cautioned that individual bills will vary: some taxpayers could see increases above or below the countywide average.

Dozens of residents spoke during the public-comment portion. Debbie Artrip, a resident, urged supervisors to reject increases to the school system's local match and said, "I hope you have enough backbone to say no to certain things, especially the school system." Brian Hogan, a resident of District 3, described the 33 percent figure as a countywide average and warned individual property tax bills could be much higher for some households.

Other speakers described large appraisal changes and the six-year reassessment cycle. Jaya Brown, a resident from the western end of the county, said the reassessment is mandated and put the change in everyday terms: "If your house is valued at $100,000 this year, you would have paid $740 on that. ... They are looking at this as decreasing the tax to 69¢ on a 100, which makes it $690. So they're trying to help you out on that. They cannot help what the state mandates." Several residents asked about appeal processes; staff said the Board of Equalization and the commissioner's office could be contacted for assessments believed to be in error and that the county had scheduled additional hearing opportunities.

The budget discussion included repeated references to the local share requested by Lee County Public Schools. The board approved a local funding level for schools the board identified in the meeting as approximately $7.144 million. Speakers including Cliff Sumpter and others warned that sharp local cuts to the school match could prompt school closures or job losses and urged funding to avoid displacing teachers and staff.

County officials and several residents also addressed audits, ARPA/ESSER carryover funds and regional jail costs as drivers of the budget. A resident asked whether independent audits had findings; county staff said audits over recent years had a handful of findings concentrated in social services and the school system and that some additional auditing requirements had followed federal pandemic-era grants.

Following the hearing the board took a series of motions: approving year-end disbursements (customarily handled during a regular meeting), approving the tax levies (including the 69¢ real-estate rate), adopting the FY2025–26 budget, adopting Resolution 25-008 (budget appropriation), approving supplemental appropriations and budget transfers, and approving a personnel action. All motions were seconded and the board carried the measures.

The board closed the hearing and took a short recess before returning to complete the remaining routine business. The clerk will post the adopted budget and the resolution on the county website and provide information about assessment appeals and the Board of Equalization processes for taxpayers who wish to contest valuations.

(Reporting in this article is limited to statements made at the June 25, 2025 Lee County Board of Supervisors recessed meeting and to documents referenced there.)