Albemarle Supervisors still have decisions to make before adopting FY2027 budget

Charlottesville City Council adopted a budget for fiscal year 2027 on April 9 after just over a month of work sessions, but the Albemarle Board of Supervisors will not follow suit until April 22.

In fact, there is still an opportunity for the public to weigh in on how Albemarle County will use revenue in the fiscal year that begins on July 1. A public hearing on the budget will be held on April 15 on the various tax rates, including a fifteen cent increase on the personal property tax rate that would be dedicated to the county’s affordable housing fund.

On April 1, Supervisors held a fifth work session to go through several unresolved items including whether additional funds should be added to the Albemarle County Emergency Relief Program. The budget as introduced included $360,000.

Another possibility of additional spending is for Albeamarle to dedicate more funds to the Dogwood Vietnam Memorial Foundation’s proposal to build a new parking lot and pedestrian bridge to improve access to the memorial’s location in McIntire Park. (view the presentation)

County Executive Jeffrey Richardson’s budget had included a $250,000 contribution but Supervisors agreed to a larger amount if the City of Charlottesville could be persuaded to also increase their spending.

“The update, just to clarify, is the city has $100,000 of cash that would be provided to the Foundation,” said Andy Bowman, Albemarle County’s assistant chief financial officer. “They also have an in-kind contribution for the land at the interchange where the pedestrian bridge and ramp would be put into place.”

Last May, City Council approved a new lease for the Foundation that includes language allowing the proposed bridge.

“DVMF will engage with the City in good faith and take all reasonable action to allow and assist the City in the planning, construction, development, and approval of a pedestrian bridge, multi-use trail, and associated parking lot to provide improved/handicap public access to the Leased Premise,” reads the lease.

Supervisor Ann Mallek said she was shocked to hear this information and had been under the impression that Charlottesville was matching Albemarle’s contribution.

“The benefits go way beyond the old soldiers who are visiting the memorial because of the connection to the shared use path that goes all the way to Rio Point and into the city and connecting the users of the county shared-use path along the parkway,” Mallek said.

Before discussions really began, Bowman identified three sources of funds that might be used to make spending adjustments. These included a contingency fund, $510,000 in one-time funding, and a capital improvement program reserve with $394,000.

Supervisor Mike Pruitt had tried to get three votes to support a real property tax increase to devote all of the funds to the Albemarle Housing Investment Fund, but could only secure two. He suggested redirecting any of those reserve funds to get closer to his goal of $10 million a year for the fund.

“I think that would be a prudent use of this because it is responsive to one of the most consistent community demands we hear,” Pruitt said.

Both Supervisor Sally Duncan and Supervisor Ned Gallaway said they would support that move rather than use those funds to increase amounts requested by nonprofit agencies.

“I’m at the point where I’m arriving to say that I’m holding steady on these agency pieces because I feel like those dollars joining with Supervisor Pruitt and Duncan could be better served in our housing fund than through those agencies,” Gallaway said.

Mallek said she supports the Albemarle Housing Improvement Fund but still has questions about the process after getting two presentations before a recent vote on funding $4 million worth of projects.

“Before my money is allocated to that, I would like to be able to support it, but I need to have a much better process laid out of how things are going to be done,” Mallek said.

Two articles I share with you on this Local News Day:

• Albemarle supes delay vote on $3.5 million in housing funds to get more details on process, C-Ville Weekly, March 11, 2026
• $4 million in affordable housing projects approved by county supes, C-Ville Weekly, March 25, 2026

There were no firm decisions at the meeting and it did not appear there was consensus to designate all of the various funds to the Albemarle Housing Investment Fund.

The public hearing will be held on April 15. Supervisors will have a chance to discuss the final budget after that as well as at the meeting scheduled on April 22 to adopt the document.

For all of the various stories, read the Budget Albemarle tab on Information Charlottesville.

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