April 14, 2025: Charlottesville City Council to adopt FY26 budget tonight in special meeting; Bedford County to hold public hearing on tax rate
Plus: A link to today’s meeting in Mecklenburg County
This is one of those days I question whether I was right to relaunch this newsletter! Sometimes a lot of other things have to take place before I can get to this. Today it was a need to write up a budget work session in Charlottesville and write a story for C-Ville Weekly. To the extent that you may think I’ve over-extended, double whatever number you have in mind.
But ambition takes hard work to pull off and I use the word “experimental” to cover up that I may not always get this right and it may not always work out the way I do. But remember I do not answer to shareholders or a nonprofit Board of Directors. I don’t know who I answer to because I just sort of go with it.
In any case, let’s get on with it! And I’m glad I pushed through to get this out.
Charlottesville City Council to adopt FY26 budget and special meeting
Charlottesville City Council will hold a special meeting at 6:30 p.m. in City Council Chambers to hold a second reading on the city’s budget for FY2026. There was a budget wrap-up session on April 10 that I wrote up this morning.
For those in other communities, what would happen if your elected body was to add new items to the budget in between the budget public hearing and the public hearing on the tax rate? Charlottesville does things it own way. I seldom use adjectives to describe anything, but I’m temped to make an exception to call the process for FY26 a particular word.
A factor that sets this newsletter apart from other information outlets is a journalistic conviction to cover public processes as thoroughly as possible. This standard is not one I’m always able to meet and I have to let a lot of story ideas go as time accelerates.
I cannot let go of covering budgets for local governments as they go from introduction to adoption. The executive turns over a document for the legislative branch to review. The legislators are elected to make decisions. This process is deliberative and allows opportunities for the public to comment and shape the final result.
All I can really do today is list several stories I have written.
Sanders presents City Council with FY26 budget based on no new taxes, March 10, 2025
Public notice: Charlottesville’s lowered tax rate is $0.9128 per $100 of assessed value, March 12, 2025
Charlottesville on track to adopt FY2026 budget on April 14, April 10, 2025
April 10, 2025: A very brief summary of four budget work sessions for Charlottesville's FY26 budget before a final one tonight, April 10, 2025
Former City Council appeals to Council to move forward with improvements to support Dogwood Memorial, April 11, 2025
City Council makes last minute decisions at final work session before tonight’s vote on $265M budget, April 14, 2025
Public hearing tonight in Bedford County on 2025 tax rates
The seven members of the Bedford County Board of Supervisors will gather for a work session at 5 p.m. followed by a regular session at 7 p.m. You can access materials at this link.
The work session has two items. One is a discussion of an application for a $50,000 grant from the Virginia Department of Emergency Management for the transfer of GIS data. There’s a nine-page proposal from GEO Jobe in the packet. This is on the consent agenda later in the meeting.
The second is a further discussion on the FY26 budget.
At the regular meeting, there are two proclamations and then five public hearings.
The first is on tax rates for 2025. Figures are listed below.
The second is to take comments on the Virginia Department of Transportation’s Six Year Secondary Road Plan.
The third public hearing is for an ordinance setting the per diem rates for the Bedford County Nursing Home.
The fourth public hearing is for a special use permit for Gardner Heifers Inc. to allow a shed for the purpose of storing sewage sludge.
The fifth is for a rezoning application
There are several action items. One of them is to approve the transfer of various grants to the Bedford County School Board. Another will allow the county administrator to execute a new lease for the Montvale Preservation Foundation for the former Montvale Elementary School. Another will initiate zoning amendments.
The Board will also get an update on a potential addition to the Bedford County Animal Shelter.
Mecklenburg County Supervisors met this morning
The April meeting of the Mecklenburg County Board of Supervisors has already come and gone but is captured through the magic of YouTube. As it’s 2:19 p.m. I’m going to go ahead and leave it at that. (agenda)
Reading material:
Danville shopping center sold, Chuck Vipperman, Chatham Star-Tribune, April 9, 2025
NTSB issues report on fatal helicopter crash, Chuck Vipperman, Chatham Star-Tribune, April 11, 2025
STEPS gets long-delayed funding to help with Israel Hill project, Brian Carlton, Farmville Herald, April 11, 2025
Farmville tax rate changed by council, budget options weighed, Brian Carlton, Farmville Herald, April 11, 2025
Drivers frustrated by ongoing gridlock at Water Street Garage, Mark Gad, CBS19 News, April 12, 2025
Squads of UVA Business students take on community service projects, Avery Davis, WVIR 29News, April 12, 2025
Buckingham County High welding team competes for state title, Farmville Herald, April 12, 2025
Lickinghole Creek Craft Brewery to reopen its doors in May, Clare Gehlich, WRIC, April 12, 2025
UVA Darden volunteers work with BGF to repair homes across Albemarle, Mark Gad, CBS19 News, April 12, 2025
Cumberland County works on engagement project, Brian Carlton, Farmville Herald, April 13, 2025