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King William supervisors approve 3.5¢ real‑estate tax increase, restore school transfer
Summary
After hours of budget debate on May 19, the King William County Board of Supervisors voted to raise the real‑estate tax rate by 3.5 cents per $100 of assessed value and approved a $784,372 increase to the school transfer; the changes aim to shore up public safety funding and replenish reserves.
The King William County Board of Supervisors voted May 19 to raise the real‑estate tax rate by 3.5 cents per $100 of assessed value and to increase the school transfer by $784,372.
The vote followed a lengthy budget discussion in which staff presented two revenue scenarios — with and without a tax increase — and cautioned that without new revenue the county would need to draw on the unassigned fund balance. County staff said a no‑tax scenario left roughly $390,000 in unassigned funds, while the tax scenario produced materially higher revenues for the general fund.
Supporters of the increase said the additional revenue would allow the county to bolster deputies and EMS staffing, address other public‑safety needs and begin restoring the rainy‑day fund after several years of draws. One board member framed the choice as a trade‑off between an immediate tax increase and a larger, more disruptive increase later if reserves were not rebuilt.
Opponents said they were uncomfortable raising taxes and urged continued scrutiny of department budgets and capital projects. The transcript records at least one explicit recorded no vote by Scott Hudson; the motion carried by a 3–2 roll‑call majority in the meeting record.
After approving the tax increase, the board voted to increase the FY2026 school transfer by $784,372 toward the schools’ agency request. That motion was approved in roll call recorded in the transcript.
The board and staff discussed next steps: a priority to protect fire, EMS and sheriff staffing, opportunities to return additional money to unassigned reserves over time, and the statutory limits on changing tax rates after land books are set. Staff said the county received recent corrections to revenue projections and that the administration will circulate bank/cash‑flow snapshots at regular intervals to keep supervisors informed.
What happens next: staff will finalize the budget documents and implement the new tax rate procedures consistent with statutory deadlines. The board moved to closed session later in the meeting and made an appointment before adjourning.
