Roanoke County proposes $260.5 million FY2025 budget with tax-rate cut and employee raises

County Administrator Richard Caywood presented Roanoke County's proposed fiscal 2025 operating budget and a 2025'through'1034 capital improvement program to the Board of Supervisors on March 26, outlining a $260.5 million spending plan and a recommendation to reduce the real-estate tax rate from $1.06 to $1.04.

Caywood said the proposal reflects months of collaboration with the board and staff, and that in recent budget cycles the county has returned substantial tax relief to residents. "When you add everything up over the last two budget cycles and the proposed, that's over 22,000,000 in total tax relief for our citizens," he said, describing earlier personal-property and rate reductions as part of that effort.

The proposal directs just over $100 million to the local public school system and prioritizes education, public safety and core services. "Of the dollars $260,000,000 in the proposed budget,…