Henrico supervisors approve budget, taxes and several rezonings; multiple rezoning decisions deferred

Henrico County officials on April 8 adopted the fiscal year 2026 budget, lowered the real estate tax rate and set personal-property levies; approved multiple conditional rezonings and a water and sewer rate ordinance; and deferred decisions on two contested rezonings to the board's May 13 meeting.

The board approved the substitute FY26 budget resolution that moves one staff position from general government to the county's Sports and Entertainment Authority and then adopted the full operating and capital plan. The board also set the 2025 real estate tax rate at $0.83 per $100 assessed value (a two-cent reduction from 2024) and approved the proposed calendar-2025 personal property and machinery-and-tools tax rates, including a general personal-property rate of $3.35 per $100 (a 15-cent decrease from 2024).

In land-use decisions, the board approved a conditional rezoning to allow a two-story, 34,000-square-foot medical office building for Virginia Physicians for Women on Monument Avenue and approved a conditional rezoning for AIM Transportation LLC to relocate a truck rental and maintenance facility, with proffers limiting certain uses and materials. The board approved a county-owned parcel's conditional rezoning to allow an inpatient medical treatment facility (a voluntary, secure detox facility to be operated by a third party) and accepted proffers and site security measures described in the staff report.

Two rezoning requests drawing substantial neighborhood opposition were deferred for further review and outreach. The board deferred a conditional rezoning proposed by Shell Brothers for a roughly 9-acre single-family residential development (the board moved the Shell Brothers request to the May 13 meeting at the board's request) after neighbors raised stormwater, tree-preservation and sight-line concerns. The board also deferred a conditional rezoning for a proposed 100,000-square-foot warehouse near Monahan Road; board members asked staff and the applicant to do additional outreach with area residents and review potential impacts.

Other formal actions on the consent and public agenda included accepting a resignation from the Housing Advisory Commission, adopting the 2025 Emergency Operations Plan, approving several quick-claim and right-of-way vacation requests tied to redevelopment and tech park parcels, and introducing ordinances to authorize employee bonuses (advertised for May 13 public hearing).

Several motions were recorded as unanimous or with standard voice votes; where a named roll-call was not recorded the minutes reflect the board's voice vote outcome.

Votes at a glance - FY 2026 annual operating and capital budget: approved (substitute resolution adopted moving one staff position to Sports & Entertainment Authority). Motion: Cooper (mover); Nelson (second). Outcome: approved. - Real estate tax levy (calendar 2025) at $0.83 per $100: approved. Motion: Cooper (mover); Rogus (second). Outcome: approved. - Personal property and machinery-and-tools tax levies (calendar 2025): approved (general personal property rate $3.35 per $100). Motion: Rountree (mover); Rogus (second). Outcome: approved. - REZ (Henrico County Economic Development Authority) to allow an inpatient medical treatment facility (detox), proffers dated 02/26/2025: approved. Motion: Nelson (mover); Cooper (second). Outcome: approved. - REZ (VPFW Monument MOB Investors LLC) to B-2C for a 34,000-sq.-ft. medical office building (Monument Ave): approved with proffers dated 03/25/2025. Motion: Chair (mover); Rogus (second). Outcome: approved. - REZ (AIM Transportation LLC) to M-1C to relocate truck rental/maintenance facility (with revised proffers dated 04/08/2025): approved. Motion: Cooper (mover); Nelson (second). Outcome: approved. - REZ (Shell Brothers, 9 acres R-5AC for up to 26 homes, Pounds Tract/Shady Grove Rd): deferred to 05/13/2025 at board request. Motion: Rountree (mover); Rogus (second). Outcome: deferred. - REZ (Harsh Thacker / Dorado Capital LLC, 17.5 acres to M-1C for 100,000-sq.-ft. warehouse): deferred to 05/13/2025 (decision only) at board request after community comments and applicant changes. Motion: Nelson (mover); Rogus (second). Outcome: deferred. - Rezoning/proffer amendment requests (multiple other items): several were deferred or withdrawn by applicants; see official minutes for itemized agenda numbers. - Ordinance to increase bi-monthly water and sewer service and volume charges (effective July 1): introduced at public hearing and acted on by the board during the meeting. The board record shows a motion and second following the public hearing; the ordinance supports operating, debt-service and capital needs cited by staff.

Why this matters The package of actions adopts a major budget that funds county operations for FY26 while reducing the residential real-estate tax rate and lowering personal-property rates. The board also moved forward on infrastructure financing (including water and sewer rate adjustments) and continues to balance growth-driven rezonings with neighborhood preservation concerns; two contested rezonings were deferred to give the board more time to review engineering, stormwater and tree-preservation options.

What's next Deferred rezonings will return to the May 13 board meeting for decision; the board scheduled public hearings on introduced ordinances for May 13 where required. Residents with questions about specific items were directed to planning and public utilities staff for follow-up.