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Fluvanna County presents $160.9 million FY27 budget proposal; real‑estate tax rate proposed at $0.76
Summary
County Administrator Eric Dahl and Finance Director Tori Melton presented a FY27 budget proposal totaling $160,936,620 with a proposed real‑estate tax rate of $0.76 (a $0.01 increase) and $34.9 million in net increases across revenues and expenditures driven largely by CIP funding and personnel costs.
Fluvanna County staff presented the proposed FY27 budget and a five‑year financial plan at the Board’s Feb. 4 budget work session.
County Administrator Eric M. Dahl and Finance Director Tori Melton outlined a $160,936,620 budget that would set the real‑estate tax rate at $0.76 per $100 of assessed value, up from $0.75, producing an estimated 1.33% tax increase for the average homeowner. The personal property tax rate would remain $4.10 per $100 of assessed value and the Machinery & Tools rate would remain $1.90. The proposal includes an overall increase in county expenditures of $34,942,579 (27.7% from the FY26 amended budget), driven in large part by capital project funding and a net $42.4 million increase for CIP project funding, mainly from the use of proffer funds.
Key budget items and assumptions include new positions and operating increases across departments: county administration proposed two new positions and a website upgrade; E‑911 proposed a deputy director of communications and equipment replacement; emergency services proposed converting Kents Store Rescue Station to 24‑hour coverage with four additional EMT positions; public safety, corrections and juvenile detention costs were highlighted as pressure points. The budget assumes a 2% COLA for county staff (estimated $337,516) and an 8% health‑insurance cost increase budgeted at $276,864.
The presentation noted an estimated unassigned restricted fund balance of $12,022,656 and an unassigned unrestricted fund balance of $14,585,271 available for capital uses; FY27 anticipates using $8,859,600 of fund balance toward one‑time needs. Staff warned that future capital needs and existing debt could increase annual debt service, and that some lower‑urgency projects were deferred to future years to limit near‑term tax impacts.
Finance staff said revenues reflect a net increase of $1.6 million in tax and local operating revenue, a $4.0 million decrease in schools state/federal/other local revenue (not including county contribution), and a decrease of $4.0 million in enterprise funds. Total building permit activity and population growth figures were presented as part of economic context.
Board members directed staff to continue detailed reviews in upcoming budget work sessions; the School System’s full budget request is scheduled for presentation to the Board on Feb. 25, 2026.
The minutes record the figures and policy directions presented by staff; they do not include verbatim remarks from individual supervisors beyond recorded votes on separate agenda items.
