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Prince George County holds public hearing on advertised FY2027 budget, highlights 1¢ tax-rate cut and $19.1M school transfer
Summary
County staff presented the advertised FY2027 budget — general fund about $80.5 million (1.34% increase) and total budget $177.9 million (3.4% increase) — while emphasizing a 1¢ real-estate tax-rate reduction and a $19.1 million general-fund transfer to schools; public comment raised concerns about school overcrowding and personnel costs.
Prince George County officials presented the advertised FY2027 budget during a public hearing, describing an advertised general fund of approximately $80,500,000 (a 1.34% increase from the current year) and a total advertised budget of about $177,900,000, an increase of roughly 3.4% driven largely by a $4.0 million increase in the school division budget.
Budget staff said the advertised package includes a one-cent reduction in the real-estate tax rate (from $0.82 to $0.81), personnel step increases effective to 06/30/2026, a 2% career development adjustment for certain public safety positions and a 1% general cost-of-living scale adjustment. The county budget keeps the general-fund transfer to schools at $19,100,000 and increases the capital transfer for four school buses to $624,000. Officials cautioned that the state’s biennial budget, once finalized, could change projected school revenues and would require a budget amendment if substantial.
"The advertised general fund budget is just over $80,500,000," the budget presenter said, and staff highlighted that nearly half of the county’s budgeted funds support the school division. The presentation also detailed that the public utilities enterprise fund is balanced separately, with planned utility rate increases (discussed in a separate hearing) included to address higher provider charges.
During the allotted public-comment period, Justin Goodman (virtual commenter) criticized certain payroll and reclassification decisions and urged the board to speed up plans addressing school overcrowding, calling a five-year timetable "unacceptable." William Steele commended staff for the work and welcomed the tax-rate reduction but argued the county remains among the higher-taxed jurisdictions in the region and urged further spending scrutiny.
No final action on the budget was taken at the meeting; the hearing was strictly for public comment and the board indicated budget adoption is scheduled for a subsequent meeting.
