Amherst County board holds FY2026 budget public hearing; schedules May 6 adoption vote

Amherst County on April (date on agenda) held a public hearing on the proposed fiscal year 2026 operating budget and capital improvement plan, hearing a presentation from County Administrator Jeremy Bryant and public questions about several funding items and the Gateway Project.

Bryant told the Board of Supervisors that the county is presenting “a balanced budget.” He said revenues and expenditures line up for the coming year and highlighted two capital items the county is asking the board to fund now: the continuation of the county’s required real property reassessment (phase 2 of 3) and phase 2 of the courthouse HVAC project. Bryants said the next phase of the reassessment would return in a future budget cycle at about $200,000 and that phase 2 of the courthouse HVAC is estimated at $275,000.

The budget would include a 3% cost-of-living adjustment for county employees, and officials said there is no tax increase included. Bryant said the county narrowed CIP requests for this cycle and will return in September to present the remaining ranked capital requests once available funding is clearer.

During the public hearing, resident John A. Marks Jr. of Madison Heights asked the board to clarify two entries that together totaled $1,142,000 on the revenue summary. The Finance Director responded with a breakdown: $152,000 from the 911 fund to pay for dispatchers, $495,000 from the future fund to purchase an ambulance, $20,000 from the Forest Sustainability Fund for Mill Creek Park attendance, and $475,000 from the general fund unobligated for the two CIP projects discussed that evening.

Marks and at least one board member raised questions about the Gateway Project loan. A board member summarized that the county previously agreed to participate with a developer and that the service authority borrowed about $2.5 million for the project; the member said he had not seen progress from the developer and was concerned who would be left responsible for long-term debt if revenues from water and wastewater sales did not cover debt service. The Finance Director confirmed the proposed budget includes one last interest-only payment entry of $99,500 but said no other Gateway Project long-term debt payments were included in the FY2026 budget. Bryant said staff is working with the service authority director on a memorandum of understanding and expects to bring an MOU to the board in June addressing how the county and the service authority will coordinate on long-term financing.

Board members also discussed potential external funding for public-safety positions. Officials said School Resource Officer positions are pursued through DCJS grants and that dispatcher positions may be eligible for partial funding through the Virginia Compensation Board pending a separate interlocal/MOU process; staff said the county would expect any Compensation Board funding to apply to FY2026 if approved in time.

After closing the public hearing, Supervisor Martin moved that the board reconvene on May 6, 2025, to consider formal adoption of the FY2026 operating and maintenance budget and the capital improvement plan; the motion passed. The meeting adjourned following that action.

The board emphasized that remaining CIP requests will be evaluated in September when revenue projections are clearer and that staff will return with more detailed financing options and memoranda of understanding related to the Gateway Project and any intergovernmental funding arrangements.