Albemarle County Board of Supervisors Meeting – December 3, 2025

The Albemarle County Board of Supervisors met on December 3, 2025 at 6:00 PM in Lane Auditorium. The meeting included public comment, approval of a consent agenda, three public hearings, and discussion on agricultural and forestal districts. All votes were unanimous unless noted.

Consent Calendar

• Approved minutes from October 30, 2024; May 7, June 4, July 16, August 13, and October 30, 2025.
• Scheduled a public hearing for Walnut Creek Park Appalachian Power Utility Easement.
• Scheduled a public hearing for conveyance of a portion of county-owned parcel 76-54P.
• Approved a resolution to support Virginia Business Ready Expedited Permitting Program application.
• Approved dissolution of the Jefferson Area Regional Transit Partnership (RTP).
• Approved SE 25-30 315 Wandering Bear Road Homestay (Samuel Miller District).

Public Comments & Testimony

• Alicia Lenahan (Scottsville District) urged the Board to adopt a resolution condemning unmarked federal immigration enforcement vehicles and masked agents, citing similar legislation passed in California and introduced in Virginia. She read excerpts from a proposed resolution and asked for audience hand raises to show support for each point.
• Gary Grant (Rio District) criticized the Board’s 2026 legislative positions document for omitting a stance on a Democrat-proposed constitutional amendment allowing mid-decade congressional redistricting. He also requested that terms like “state funding” be replaced with “taxpayer funding” to emphasize the source of money.
• Phil Reese (Rivanna District) raised concerns about school board capital spending, noting ACPS spends about $20,000 per pupil (one of the highest rates in Virginia). He questioned the financial due diligence on bus purchases and expressed skepticism that a sales tax increase or bond referendum would pass due to low citizen trust. He also asked about the county’s land deal with AstraZeneca, urging the county not to subsidize the multinational corporation.

Discussion Items

• FY26 Budget Amendment ($25.9 million): Ryan Davidson presented the amendment, which included $5.8M previously approved and $20.1M new. Funds covered special revenue (opioid settlement, affordable housing, economic development), general fund reappropriations (FY25 projects), capital projects (drainage, Rivanna Futures, Biscuit Run), and emergency communications equipment. No public speakers. Approved unanimously.
• Real Estate Tax Relief for Elderly and Disabled: Jennifer Matheny proposed an ordinance amendment to automatically adjust income and net worth limits using 80% of HUD Area Median Income for a family of four and inflation-adjusted $200,000 (from 2007). For 2026, the income limit would rise from $97,650 to $106,650; net worth from $312,000 to $321,000. The program now helps 886 households (up from 857 in 2024), with average applicant income $37,506 and net worth $61,015. The board discussed the importance of publicity and clarified that primary residence value is not counted in net worth. Approved unanimously.
• Agricultural and Forestal District Reviews (Green Mountain, Nortonsville Local, Batesville): James Van Vranken presented three district renewals. Green Mountain: all 6 parcels retain development rights, renew for 10 years. Nortonsville Local: one parcel without development rights removed, renew for 8 years. Batesville: 16 parcels without development rights removed; one parcel in open space gets a 5-year grace period to adjust tax status; AFD committee had recommended keeping all parcels, but staff and Planning Commission recommended removal per board policy. Board approved the ordinance as presented (Attachment A). Following the vote, Supervisor McKeel raised concerns that the policy removes parcels that provide community identity and protection against condemnation/eminent domain, even if not receiving tax benefits. She suggested future work to decouple placemaking from tax eligibility. Supervisor LaPisto-Kirtley and Galloway expressed interest in exploring improvements, such as allowing parcels without development rights to stay if they don't use open space or meet other criteria. No action taken on future changes.

Key Outcomes

• FY26 Budget Amendment approved (unanimous).
• Real Estate Tax Relief Ordinance amended to allow automatic annual adjustments based on AMI and CPI, effective January 1, 2026 (unanimous).
• Agricultural and Forestal Districts renewed with parcel removals as recommended by staff (unanimous). The board directed staff to explore potential future ordinance changes to allow parcels without development rights to remain in districts if they do not claim open space tax benefits.