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Powhatan supervisors review proposed FY2027 budget, keep public comment open for final vote
Summary
Board members reviewed the proposed FY2027 operating budget — including a $625,000 CIP true-up, a $750,000 reduction in the schools transfer and proposed AFD fee increases — heard public requests for nonprofit funding and voted 5-0 to keep public comment open at the official budget meeting.
The Powhatan County Board of Supervisors reviewed the proposed FY2027 operating budget at a special meeting on April 20, 2026, hearing presentations from Budget Manager Will Morris and county staff, fielding questions about a Pocahontas facility feasibility study, proposed fee changes and nonprofit funding, and voting to keep public comment open for the official budget hearing next week.
Morris opened the board’s budget briefing with an overview of revenues and expenditures and said schools make up just under half of total spending in the combined $132 million budget. He highlighted adjustments from the County Administrator’s proposed budget to the advertised version, including a $625,000 transfer into the Capital Projects and Utilities Capital Projects funds from the Capital Maintenance Reserve to “true up” a cash-funded CIP and a $750,000 reduction in the schools transfer, bringing that transfer to $1.9 million.
The board probed allocations tied to the county’s Pocahontas facility, where Mr. Kinney said about $900,000 had been identified for demolition and $200,000 would be used for a feasibility study. Finance Director Charla Schubert and Budget Manager Morris said the $200,000 would likely require an additional appropriation from the Capital Maintenance Reserve. County Administrator Will Hagy said the draft RFP projected a 9–12 month timetable for the study once a contract is awarded and that the RFP requires contractors to flag and immediately remediate any environmental concerns, such as mold, found during assessment.
Supervisors discussed a set of fee changes included in the proposed budget. Morris flagged a notable change: Agricultural and Forestal District (AFD) application fees would increase from $100 to $200. Board members and staff agreed that even the higher fee would not fully cover actual advertising costs. Mr. Powers noted the average advertising cost per AFD application was about $493; Deputy Clerk Katie Shifflett said a single case advertised before the Board of Supervisors would cost approximately $660 and roughly $1,300 when including the Planning Commission. Staff explained newspaper legal-advertising costs are charged largely by line/word count and that Virginia Code constrains how much can be charged for AFDs.
The public comment period included three speakers. Susan Winiecki, representing Habitat for Humanity Powhatan, asked the board to fund $35,000 for fiscal year 2027 to support the organization’s critical home repair program for income-restricted homeowners (a roughly $175,000 program budget, with the county share about 20%). Fran Carlton asked the board to reduce last year’s $100,500 in charitable contributions to $50,000 to redirect funds toward priorities such as hiring three full-time EMTs and urged greater transparency about contributions to the county’s fund balance. Kelly Crockett described personal assistance from Habitat for Humanity and said she would support raising the tax rate to maintain services.
On a procedural motion, Supervisor Mark Kinney moved to keep the public comment period open for the board’s official budget meeting the following Monday, pending confirmation that doing so would be legally permissible; County Attorney Kalli Jackson confirmed it could be done, Chairman William Donati Jr. seconded and the motion passed 5–0.
Mr. Kinney cautioned that a 75-cent tax rate would limit the county’s ability to borrow and fund positions going forward and noted Powhatan receives about 7% of its revenue from commercial sources compared with neighboring Goochland County’s roughly 15%, placing a heavier burden on residents amid approximately $79 million in school capital projects. Mr. Powers asked whether the contribution to fund balance in the proposed budget was $1,633,341; staff confirmed that figure and said it resulted from reducing the schools transfer and capturing the difference proactively in the fund balance — the first time, staff said, a board had intentionally set aside front-end savings in the budget.
The board will consider the advertised FY2027 operating budget at its official meeting next week, where the public comment period will remain open as approved during the April 20 special meeting.
