Votes at a glance: Henrico supervisors approve rezoning, tax and utility rates, budget and a series of easements and contracts

The Henrico County Board of Supervisors took multiple formal actions April 14 during its regular meeting. The key outcomes: the board approved a proffer amendment for the Crossings at Mulberry townhome development (RZ2026-100113); adopted the calendar-year 2026 real-estate and personal-property tax levies; adopted utility water and sewer rate changes; approved utility easements with Virginia Electric and Power Company; authorized property acquisitions and a condemnation action for Laburnum Avenue sidewalk projects; approved participation in proposed opioid settlements; authorized the police division to pursue recertification as a Certified Crime Prevention Community; and awarded engineering contracts to Arcadis US and Jacobs Engineering.

Several items were advanced from staff recommendations and carried on voice votes without recorded roll-call tallies in the transcript. Where recorded, motions were moved and seconded from the dais and approved by consensus. Notable details for several actions are listed below.

Votes and key details

- Rezoning: RZ2026-100113 (Crossings at Mulberry Development, Fairfield District) — Action: approve proffer amendment to allow alley-fed homes without garages for 59 of 160 affected units; planning staff and commission recommended approval; motion moved and passed by voice vote (mover: Chair Roscoe D. Cooper; second: Reverend Nelson). (See staff presentation by Emerson.)

- Real estate tax levies (Agenda item 79-26) — Action: adopt rates for calendar year 2026; rates remained unchanged (general real-estate rate reported as $0.83 per $100). Director of finance recommended approval; no public speakers at the hearing; board approved by voice vote.

- Personal property and machinery & tools levies (Agenda item 80-26) — Action: adopt personal-property rates for calendar year 2026; general vehicle/property rate reported as $3.35 per $100 assessed value; board approved by voice vote.

- Utility easements (Agenda items 81-26 and 82-26) — Actions: authorize chair to execute underground utility easement agreements with Virginia Electric and Power Company for properties at 4908 Terry Lane and for 2129 & 2133 Park Lane to improve electric reliability; staff recommended approval and the board approved both resolutions by voice vote.

- Fall Line Trail property exchange and purchase (Agenda item 83-26) — Action: authorize a purchase and exchange agreement (purchase portion for $33,718) and sign plats for boundary adjustments; board approved by voice vote.

- Condemnation authorization for South Laburnum Ave sidewalks (Agenda item 84-26) — Action: authorize county attorney to institute condemnation proceedings to acquire required rights of way when voluntary acquisition failed (county offer cited $15,888); board approved.

- Water and sewer charges (Ordinance agenda item 85-26) — Action: change bimonthly water and sewer service and volume charges; staff reported the median residential account using 10 CCF would see a $7.70 bimonthly increase (roughly $0.13/day) and an overall 5% increase; board approved the ordinance change and it was scheduled to take effect July 1.

- Fiscal 2027 budget (Resolution adopting annual operating and capital plans) — Action: board adopted the fiscal 2027 operating and capital budgets by voice vote after debate (operating ~ $2.0B; capital ~ $343.6M). The board set car tax relief allocation at 42% for calendar 2026.

- Opioid settlement participation (Agenda item 86-26) — Action: approve county participation in combined opioid-related settlements; expected county payment estimated to be approximately $90,000 in a lump sum to be used for abatement purposes; county litigation counsel recommended approval and the board approved.

- Certified Crime Prevention Community recertification (Agenda item 87-26) — Action: authorize police division to pursue recertification and designate the chief as Henrico’s representative on the county’s Community Safety Coalition; board approved.

- Property acquisition for drainage/flood mitigation (Agenda item 88-26) — Action: acquire 4701 Mulford Road for $370,000 for drainage and flood-plain mitigation; board approved.

- Professional engineering services contract awards (Agenda item 89-26) — Action: award annual professional engineering services contracts to Arcadis US and Jacobs Engineering; contracts are one-year terms with renewal options; compensation capped per project at $2.5M and $10M per one-year term; board approved.

Motions were generally moved and seconded from the dais and carried by voice vote; the official minute book and subsequent posted meeting documentation will contain the formal record and any roll-call votes if recorded after the meeting.