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Williamsburg finance director reports modest revenue gains, flags amphitheater appropriation and potential unionization costs
Summary
City finance presenter Miss Damron told council January revenues were modestly ahead of last year across several taxes and noted a $5 million amphitheater appropriation carried forward; council asked staff to analyze potential fiscal impacts if state legislation enabling municipal workforce unionization advances.
Miss Damron told Williamsburg City Council on Feb. 12 that January revenue snapshots show broad, modest growth from a year earlier. Sales tax receipts for the month were about $2.6 million, representing roughly 43% of the annual budget and a roughly 5% increase from the prior year, she said. Room lodging tax receipts were at about 53% of budget (a reported 14.5% increase year over year, with staff cautioning some of that gain reflects delinquent collections), while meals tax was roughly 47% of budget and about 1% ahead of last year. Tourism lodging taxes were reported at about 54% of budget, and historic sales tax at about 44% of budget. Real estate revenue is near 51% of budget and personal property collections were reported at about 85% of budget, a year-over-year rise the presenter described as approximately 21%.
Damron reminded council that revenue timing lags exist (noting a two-month delay for sales tax) and that some apparent year-to-year increases reflect late or delinquent collections rather than purely current-period activity. She said total real estate revenue for FY25 shows a multi-year upward trend and that overall expenditures were running in line with budget across funds.
Damron also noted an existing $5 million amphitheater appropriation that was carried forward from fiscal 2023 through FY26, explaining that the budget authority for that project has remained available for those years. A councilmember asked whether staff had modeled the fiscal impacts of recent proposals at the General Assembly permitting municipal workforce unionization; Damron said staff has not yet analyzed it but would undertake that work and report back, noting any enactment could take effect in July and affect the city's fiscal year timing.
The council did not take an immediate vote on new revenues or tax changes at the meeting. Damron told members she would return with analysis of potential cost impacts if the unionization proposal proceeds, and she reiterated staff would continue to monitor delinquent collections and revenue performance through the June close of the fiscal year.
The council proceeded to departmental reports following the finance presentation.
