Albemarle Supervisors adopt $727.7M budget for FY2027 including $7M for affordable housing

After two months of deliberations, public comment, and debate, the Albemarle Board of Supervisors has unanimously adopted a budget for FY2027 that includes about $7 million in new money for the county’s Affordable Housing Investment Fund (AHIF).

Shortly after approval on the evening of April 22, Board Chair Ned Gallaway thanked staff as well as two of his colleagues.

“Well done to our two newest Supervisors,” Gallaway said. “It’s one of the most difficult tasks to join a board, whether you’ve been elected to other positions or not, and then have to jump right into the budget.”

Sally Duncan ran unopposed in 2025 for the Jack Jouett District and Fred Missel defeated challenger Scott Smith in the Samuel Miller District. County Executive Jeffrey Richardson unveiled the draft budget at the end of their second month in office.

The total budget is around $727.7 million and includes a $512 million general fund and a $95.8 million capital improvement budget for FY2027.

Supervisors began with a recap of decisions made at the April 15 budget work session that resulted in an additional $2 million for the Affordable Housing Investment Fund for a total of $7 million in FY2027. They also directed an additional $117,000 to the Albemarle County Emergency Relief Program (ACERP).

After the April 15 work session, the School Board made a new request as explained by Caitlin Malcolm, Albemarle’s chief of budget. During the budget process Supervisors gave the division less than the School Board’s initial request.

“So the school division is requesting that the Board include use of fund balance for the school fund at $3.15 million,” Malcolm said. “So that would be using essentially from reserves that we have on hand specific for schools to fund priorities that their board has decided to fund despite the change in ongoing revenue, despite the outcome.”

Malcolm said that would be used for security equipment, instructional resources, and technology purchases. The School Board is expected to adopt their budget tonight. According to the agenda, the proposed budget is $308,067,157 for the School Fund and $33,700,221 for Special Revenue Funds.

The Supervisors also decided to fully fund a request from Offender Aid Restoration for $76,256 for them to operate the therapeutic docket and a request from Foothills Child Advocacy for $32,473.

The Dogwood Vietnam Memorial Foundation got an additional $136,004 for their project to build a new parking area and pedestrian bridge to improve access to their site in McIntire Park. The proposed budget had contained $250,000 from the county.

Supervisor Mike Pruitt said correspondence sent to the Board of Supervisors by the Dogwood Vietnam Memorial Foundation cast doubt on the project’s future.

“I’m not sure I, counting noses, ever counted more than one and a half to two people who were fully full throated in favor of further funding this piece,” Pruitt said.

Supervisor Ann Mallek said that in order for the foundation to get the money after July 1, they will have to have a firm plan on how the money will be spent to build an amenity that will provide access to the shared use path along the John Warner Parkway.

“I very much support keeping this funding in the budget as we have in the proposal so that the as it reaches the next stage,” Mallek said. “Hundreds of thousands have been spent on design and all of that has cleared through the city, although it took two and a half years to get the clearance through the city.”

Supervisor Ned Gallaway said he supported the additional funding.

“I don’t know that giving them this 136 gives them any more or less leverage with the city, but I do expect that it could give them leverage with private donors.

Duncan said she had only been following the budget for a couple of years and she said she was frustrated that the Affordable Housing Investment Fund was not fully funded at $10 million a year.

“I don’t even understand actually totally what final number we’re at with AHIF because you guys do the math in the air and you like say you’ve gotten us to some point and I trust you, but like, it’s, It’s not clear, you know, where this money is coming from,” Duncan said.

Duncan also repeated her opposition to raising fees for land use applications because she said those increases would just add to the cost of housing.

Supervisor Bea LaPisto-Kirtley said she supported raising the fees to help recover the cost of staff time.

“We haven’t raised anything since 2022,” LaPisto-Kirtley said. “So I think this, this is good in that the fees are up to date and it does charge the developers. They may pass the costs on. But nowadays, frankly, what’s not being passed on, everything is being passed on to us, from the federal government to the state, even local.”

The Board voted unanimously to adopt the tax rates, the FY27 budget, and the capital improvement program.

This was the first budget for Malcolm who thanked Supervisors for their work.

“We just appreciate all the work that you’ve put in. Five different work sessions, six different town halls, several public hearings that have all led us to this point,” Malcolm said.

Over 200 people attended budget town hall sessions this year. Supervisor Ned Gallaway, the Board’s chair, thanked the public for their participation.

“All of that input really matters to go through this process,” Gallaway said. “It’s very hard to do when you don’t have that type of input or makes it more challenging than it already is. So very appreciative to all our constituents for their participation in the budget.”

The financial stories about Albemarle County won’t stop at the end of budget season. Keep reading Charlottesville Community Engagement for ongoing coverage of what the numbers means and how to find out additional information.

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