Veronica PiscitelliChesterfield County, Virginia, unveiled its budget proposal for fiscal year 2026 during a presentation at the Chesterfield County Government offices on March 12. The proposed $2.4 billion plan outlines the allocation of funding in the area, as well as its planned projects.
About 40% of the proposed budget, or $1 billion, is for the public school system. The plan raises school funding by about $43 million from the previous year. This raise should cover 3% step increases for all employees. Additionally, it will funnel $13 million of funding to support special education. At the presentation on March 12, Chesterfield County Superintendent John Murray spoke about a previous study conducted by the state’s Joint Legislative Audit & Review Commission (JLARC) in September 2023. He emphasized that the county’s school system “remains about $250 million underfunded.”
The proposed budget also outlines a five-year Capital Improvement Program (CIP). The county has set a budget of $452.1 million for its duration, with fiscal year 2026 receiving $77.7 million in funds. This money will go toward modernizing public safety facilities, improving roads, and upgrading community spaces.
County residents could also see a reduction in taxes if the plan gets approved. The proposed budget includes a one-cent reduction on real estate taxes. The proposed tax rate for fiscal year 2026 is 89 cents per $100 of assessed value. This is down from 95 cents per $100 in 2021.
A new $426 million water treatment plant is another project set in the proposed fiscal year 2026 budget. The plant, located in the Appomattox Tidal Basin, would become the county’s fourth water source by 2033 if approved.
County Administrator Joe Casey says plans for the treatment center have been in the works for almost a decade. It would help ensure the county has redundancies in case of another mishap like Richmond’s water outage in January of this year, which was caused by a power outage due to a winter storm. Although it only affected a small portion of Chesterfield County, the new treatment plant should help avoid issues similar to the days-long event.
Deputy County Administrator for Finance and Administration Matt Harris is critical of the proposed budget. He notes that 175 full-time positions totaling $22.1 million are going underfunded. Additionally, in the proposed budget, $300 million in capital improvement projects would be put on hold and the county would not float any bonds during the next fiscal year. It is important to note, however, that much of the uncertainty stems from federal cuts. The county says changes in federal grants won’t have a big effect on its finances.
The Chesterfield County Board of Supervisors will cast final budget votes during a meeting on April 9. Leading up to the vote, there is a series of community meetings scheduled to discuss the plans further.
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