Albemarle County Board of Supervisors Budget Public Hearing on Tax Rates – April 30, 2025
Albemarle County Board of Supervisors Budget Public Hearing on Tax Rates – April 30, 2025
On April 30, 2025, at 6:00 PM in Lane Auditorium, the Albemarle County Board of Supervisors held a public hearing to receive comments on the proposed Calendar Year 2025 real property and personal property tax rates. The board also adopted a proclamation, discussed community concerns, and adjourned to the next meeting on May 7, 2025, for formal action.
Public Hearing: Calendar Year 2025 Real Property Tax Rates
- Gary Grant (Rio District) opposed the proposed 4-cent increase (to $0.894 per $100) on top of an average 5.1% assessment increase, noting his own assessment rose 15%. He suggested cutting the proposed 3.5% employee raise to 2.5%, reducing the general fund increase by 0.8%, or eliminating a “right to housing” policy to lower the tax rate.
- Rob Myers (online) expressed concern about the combined impact of the real property tax increase, an 8% personal property tax increase, tariffs (estimated to cost households $3,800 this year), and rising consumer debt. He noted that 25% of buy-now-pay-later users are using such loans for groceries, indicating financial strain.
Public Hearing: Calendar Year 2025 Personal Property Tax Rates
- No additional speakers signed up. The hearing was opened and closed with no public comments.
Discussion Items
- Supervisor McKeel requested a history of the personal property tax rate. Andy Bowman (Assistant Chief Financial Officer) explained that the rate was $4.28 per $100 from the 1990s until 2021, then dropped to $3.42 during the pandemic due to vehicle value surges, and has been phased back to $4.28, reflecting pre-pandemic levels.
- Supervisor Mallek acknowledged the pain for residents but warned against cutting services that could lead to long-term deficits.
- Supervisor LaPisto-Kirtley noted that the community demands high-quality services (fire, police, schools, parks) and that the tax rate reflects those expectations.
- Supervisor Galloway cautioned that tariffs on new cars could affect the used car market and personal property values, similar to the pandemic spike.
- Supervisor Pruitt and Chair Andrews emphasized that the budget drives the tax rate and that the board has made policy choices reflected in the proposed rates.
Key Outcomes
- No action taken on tax rates; the board will formally adopt the budget and tax rates on May 7, 2025, at 1:00 PM in Lane Auditorium.
- Adopted a proclamation recognizing “Community Salutes” for new military entrants, to be read by Supervisor Pruitt at a ceremony on May 3, 2025 (motion by Pruitt, second by LaPisto-Kirtley, unanimous).
- Community cautions were issued: fire danger due to dry conditions (cigarette disposal) and the presence of fire ants in northern Albemarle (report to VDACS).
- The meeting adjourned to May 7, 2025, at 1:00 PM.
Meeting Transcript
Good evening. I am pleased to call to order this meeting of the Albemarle County Board of Supervisors on the 30th of April at 6 p.m. in Lane Auditorium. I'd like to note that the table. Yes, we have Supervisor Mike Pruitt of the Scottsville District, Supervisor P. Kirkley of the Ravana District, Supervisor Diantha McKeel of the Jack Jewett District, Supervisor Ned Galloway of the Rio District, Supervisor Ann Malik of the Whitehall District, and myself, Jim Andrews representing the Samuel Miller District, the quorum is present. We're also joined by our county executive, Mr. Jeff Richardson, our county attorney, Mr. Andy Herrick, and our clerk, Ms. Claudette Borgerson. Also, let me please welcome Albemarle County Police Officers present, Master Police Officer Lauren Daly, and Lieutenant Angela Jamerson. Thank you for your service today and every day on behalf of the resident citizens visitors to Albemarle County for our safety and security. Our main item uh on the agenda this evening is a public hearing to receive comments on the calendar year 2025 uh property real property and personal property tax rates. Um before opening the public hearing, I'll look to uh Mr. Richardson, ask if there are any comments. Uh uh the board also whether there are any questions from the last presentation on the budget. Yes, sir, Mr. Chair, members of the board. I've also got with me this evening, Mr. Jacob Sumner to my left, our uh Chief Finance Officer and also Mr. Andy Bowman, uh Mr. Who's our assistant uh chief finance officer, as the board knows last week we went through about 15 to 20 minutes of board presentation to kind of tee up a summary of the uh budget and where we were. Uh we are prepared tonight to go back into that to the degree that the board has questions, or after the public hearing, if there are specific questions that the board would like for us to pull any or all portions of that summary up, we'll be happy to do so. So we'll we're we're really looking for you in the board's direction. Uh, if you want to go ahead and do the public hearing, or if you have any questions or any of the slides that you'd like for us to put back up, we're happy to do that. Thank you. Um I will look to my right and left and see if the board wants to make any comments. Uh we can go through our order, but I think in this case I'll just look to see. Uh, then in that case, Mr. Bellman, uh, Mr. Sumner, thank you. But uh are we ready to open a public hearing? Uh yes, I would say, and just to clarify, there is no action tonight. Uh that would be requested on the 7th on the tax rates in the budget is one total package. And uh to clarify, there are two public hearings tonight, one on the real property tax rates and one on the personal property tax rates. I'll be happy to turn over back over to the chair. Thank you. And so at this time I will open the public hearing. And uh we have we have some sign-ups and uh the sheet is coming. Mr. Chair, just to clarify that uh you would be opening the public hearing on the real property. Uh on the real property tax rates. Thank you. Thank you. Um, this is the calendar year 2025 real property tax rates. Public hearing, yes, sir. Public hearing. All right. So we have one person online and one person in person. So I am going to read the rules.
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