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Wythe County adopts $117.3 million FY27 budget and holds tax rates steady
Summary
The Wythe County Board of Supervisors unanimously adopted a $117,299,717 FY27 budget and set the CY26 tax levy (real-estate rate $0.51 per $100). The board also adopted a consolidated county code and fee schedule effective July 1 and approved routine expenditures and grants.
The Wythe County Board of Supervisors on June 9 adopted the county’s fiscal 2026–27 budget totaling $117,299,717 and set the 2026 tax levy while approving several routine fiscal actions.
County Administrator Stephen D. Bear presented the recommended budget and explained that the General Assembly had not yet passed a final state budget; staff will appropriate first-quarter amounts at the June 30 meeting and return to amend the county budget if state action requires changes. Resolution 2026-13, adopted by the Board, levies a real-estate tax of $0.51 per $100 of assessed value, tangible personal property tax of $2.22 per $100, machinery and tools at $1.50 per $100, and merchant's capital at $0.56 per $100.
The Board also approved an Employee Bonus Ordinance to provide bonuses aligned with General Assembly decisions for constitutional officers, schools and county employees. Supervisors voted unanimously in favor of the budget and the bonus ordinance; one member (Stacy A. Terry) was recorded absent.
In routine fiscal action, the Board approved payment of invoices and wire transfers totaling $6,014,505.99 for the meeting period (including a $4,516,125 wire repayment of interim financing closed with Rural Development). The record lists a set of large vendor payments, including two wires (Key Government Finance and Ramp Business Corporation) and a number of checks covering equipment, construction, and service vendors.
The Board accepted several grants and appropriations: a federal FY26 Byrne Justice Assistance grant of $33,333 and a $90,000 U.S. Forest Service carryover for Sheriff’s Office expenditures (overtime and supplies). The Board also approved a $28,045 budget amendment to purchase a replacement Animal Control truck and authorized issuing a $37,455 check for a used replacement vehicle.
Deputy County Administrator Matthew C. Hankins summarized the long-term effort to compile and adopt a searchable County Code and a separate annual Fee Schedule to become effective July 1, 2026; the Board adopted the code and fee schedule without fee increases at this action.
The Board’s roll calls for the budget and related financial measures were unanimous among those present. The adopted budget will be implemented beginning July 1, 2026, with staff returning to the board for appropriation adjustments if the state budget changes.
