First public hearing held for Albemarle’s proposed budget for FY25 

Several people spoke at the first public hearing on Albemarle County’s recommended $629 million budget for fiscal year 2025. But first, County Executive Jeffrey Richardson gave a brief recap.

“The theme for this year is really to continue to build the momentum with what we began in fiscal year 2024,” Richardson said. 

Budgeting in Albemarle is built on a strategic plan adopted by the Board of Supervisors in October 2022. For a further recap, take a look at my story from last week.

The first speaker thanked the Board for previous funding for the Virginia Cooperative Extension and asked Supervisors to consider more support that Richardson is recommending in the FY25 budget. The agency had requested $283,352 to add a full-time staff member to coordinate 4-H activities but the draft budget recommends $256,902. 

“With 4-H participation at its highest level in 20 years, it is evident that our community is looking for what 4-H has to offer,” said Heather Farr. “However, sustaining and expanding these invaluable programs that are free to anyone requires resources and that’s where your support becomes pivotal.” 

The next speaker was Dan Rosensweig, the CEO of Habitat for Humanity of Greater Charlottesville. He began by thanking Albemarle for their partnership in developing the Southwood Mobile Home Park. 

“This $500 million national model redevelopment without displacement has a long way to go but thus far is exceeding our expectations as well as your own benchmarks,” Rosensweig said. “Nationally in similar redevelopment projects only 11 percent of residents return. At Southwood, the second group of families are the first group that are after the early adopters have made their choices and a staggering 85 percent of families are staying.”

Habitat has a performance agreement with Albemarle County to govern various incentives. Rosensweig said the first agreement required Habitat to deliver 155 affordable units.

“In fact, we’re delivering 215,” Rosensweig said. 

However, Rosensweig said it is time for the county to enter into a new performance agreement for the second phase of development which will see construction within the existing mobile home park rather than the adjacent property. 

“In anticipation of that, given the severe health and safety issues resulting from failing septic systems, Habitat has spent more than $3 million remediating and clearing the first section of phase 2. More than a 12 acre parcel is now clean. That’s the good news, it’s pristine as warranted by the [Virginia Department of Environmental Quality.] But the tough part is that for us as a nonprofit, this has created extreme cash flow challenges. Really extreme cash flow challenges.” 

Rosensweig said this will delay the project and may cause some residents to relocate twice. He did not specify a dollar amount. After he spoke, several residents also appealed for funding. 

Gustavo Espinosa is an organizer with the Legal Aid Justice Center and worked to connect Albemarle County residents with rent relief programs during the pandemic. He thanked the county for launching a local financial assistance program but asked for more support.

“$260,000 is not enough,” Espinoza said. “It wasn’t enough this year. Already we’re seeing that there’s less money that’s being given and just from how many evictions there are. There’s 1,330 cases filed last year. So that’s four a day. And these evictions are across Albemarle County.” 

When the public hearing was concluded, audience members and the Board got an update on where the process goes next. 

“As we transition into March, we have five work sessions planned,” said Jacob Sumner, Albemarle’s chief financial officer. “In April, we’ll move towards our public hearings on the tax rate and on the budget itself and finally we’ll look to May 1 for appropriation and adoption of the budget.” 

The first work session on March 6 will go through the general fund budget. On March 11, the focus will be a joint session with the School Board. 

“And this is when the public schools will provide their… request to the Board,” Sumner said. “At the end of that conversation we’ll then wrap up with the items that we plan to finish for the general fund.” 

The third work session on March 13 will focus on the Capital Improvement Program and the debt service required to pay off the bond proceeds that pay for infrastructure. Details on other work sessions in upcoming editions of the Week Ahead newsletter. 

Before you go: The time to write and research of this article is covered by paid subscribers to Charlottesville Community Engagement. In fact, this particular installment comes from the March 1, 2024 edition of the newsletter and podcast. To ensure this research can be sustained, please consider becoming a paid subscriber or contributing monthly through Patreon.