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Appomattox County board adopts 45¢ per $100 real property tax rate after public hearing
Summary
After a public hearing during which residents questioned reassessments and school construction funding, the Appomattox County Board of Supervisors voted to adopt a $0.45 per $100 assessed-value real property tax rate for fiscal 2027 to avoid drawing on reserves and to cover school-related costs.
The Appomattox County Board of Supervisors voted to adopt a real property tax rate of $0.45 per $100 of assessed value for fiscal year 2027 following a special public hearing on April 30, 2026.
Board members said the rate is intended to level-fund county operations and avoid tapping the county’s operating reserves as the locality faces rising school and debt-service costs. "This 45¢ tax rate will effectively level fund our budget and will prevent us from having to use general fund reserves to fund operations," a board member said during the hearing.
The hearing drew several residents who questioned the impact of recent reassessments. Matthew Allen Deaver of Old Courthouse Street asked whether the advertised increase represented an effective 7% jump and requested detail on the school construction projects the county said it planned to fund with approximately $700,000 in additional revenue. "Based on the figures provided in the pamphlet, it showed that the assessed value was 65¢ per $100 last year... which creates a change of 7% over our last year's effective tax rate," Deaver said.
A board member responding to public comment said the $700,000 had been earmarked for a planned middle school renovation estimated at $10 million to $15 million, and that changes in the Commonwealth budget eliminated a projected surplus, making the 45¢ rate necessary to avoid drawing on reserves. County staff explained that part of the apparent single-year jump reflects a multi-year reassessment cycle and equalization rules.
During debate supervisors also flagged upcoming debt-service obligations tied to a hospital renovation and noted the county’s total operating budget has grown in recent years. One board member summarized the fiscal picture, saying the county budget rose from roughly $37 million to $58 million over a 10-year period and that school spending increased from about $22 million to $38.3 million.
A motion to adopt the 0.45¢ per $100 rate was moved by Simpson and seconded by Wolfskill; the board approved the motion. The transcript does not record a roll-call vote tally by name in the public record excerpt.
The board closed the public hearing and returned to regular business after the vote. The chair invited residents to review the posted budget and to offer suggestions for cuts at upcoming meetings.
