OPENPUBLICA · PUBLIC MEETING RECORD
Record of Proceedings

Albemarle County Board of Supervisors Meeting – April 15, 2026

Board of Supervisors — Wednesday, April 15, 2026
BodyAlbemarle County, Virginia
SessionBoard of Supervisors
DateWednesday, April 15, 2026
StatusFILED
Video Record
0:00 / 5:45:00

Transcript — Verbatim
0:00

Thank you for your patience.

0:02

I would like to call the Albemarle County Board of Supervisors to order for our April 15th, 2026 2 p.m.

0:09

meeting, although we're running a little behind.

0:12

Supervisors present.

0:13

We have Supervisor Sally Duncan of the Jack Jewitt District, Supervisor B.

0:17

Lapisto Kirtley of the Ravanna District, Supervisor Fred Missile of the Samuel Miller District, Supervisor Ann Malik of the Whitehall District, and Supervisor Mike Pruitt of the Scottsville District, myself, Ned Galloway of the Rio District.

0:32

We also have with us today our county executive, Mr.

0:35

Jeff Richardson, our county attorney, Mr.

0:37

Andy Herrick, our board clerk, Miss Claudette Borgerson, and our senior deputy clerk, Mr.

0:42

Travis Morris.

0:44

I would like to thank our Almore County Police Department officers who are present with us today, Officer Trent Cole and Officer Dylan Shiplett.

0:51

Thank you, gentlemen.

0:53

And now, if everyone would please rise as you are able and join us in the Pledge of Allegiance.

1:41

Thank you very much.

1:42

All right, board, we will move to item number four, adoption of the final agenda.

1:46

We do have a request from Supervisor Malik to add a discussion regarding support of a Virginia bottle bill under item uh number 18, which is matters from the board not listed on the agenda.

1:57

Um that's for legislative.

2:01

So that's uh uh that'll happen later in the uh meeting.

2:05

Are there any other uh requests or changes to the final agenda?

2:10

Is there a motion to adopt the final agenda as amended?

2:13

So moved.

2:14

Second.

2:15

All right, the motion has been made and seconded without objection.

2:18

The clerk will please call the roll.

2:20

Ms.

2:20

Malik, yes, Mr.

2:22

Missel.

2:22

Aye, Mr.

2:23

Pruitt.

2:24

Aye.

2:25

Ms.

2:25

Duncan, yes, Mr.

2:27

Galloway?

2:27

Yes.

2:30

All right, very good.

2:31

We'll move to number five.

2:32

Brief announcements by board members.

2:34

Supervisor Lapisto Kurtley.

2:36

No announcements, because uh I know there's two other supervisors sort of biting at the bit saying what I was going to say.

2:44

So I will let that them do that.

2:47

Well, so generous of you, Supervisor.

2:49

Oh, thank you.

2:50

Supervisor Missile.

2:51

And I'm not one of those.

2:52

So no comments.

2:53

Thank you.

2:54

Supervisor Pruitt.

2:56

Uh I would like to take this opportunity to remind everyone the thing that I'm sure you have received quite a lot of postcards reminding you of already this week.

3:05

Uh, and that is this is the final week of early voting on the constitutional amendment that Virginia is considering.

3:11

Uh, because it's the final week, early voting will continue through Saturday, the 18th.

3:16

Uh and on election day, you can vote at your respective precinct uh from 6 a.m.

3:22

to 7 p.m.

3:23

That's going to be on Tuesday, the 21st.

3:26

Um and as a reminder, if you're early voting in person, that is at the county offices on Fifth Street.

3:31

That's all.

3:32

All right, Supervisor Duncan.

3:34

I have nothing.

3:35

All right, Supervisor Malik.

3:37

Thank you very much.

3:38

Um please check the dates on the Rivana Solid Waste Authority website for all the great details about the amnesty days for household hazardous waste and other bulk items, appliances, all the things that cost a fortune to get rid of, can be happily taken to a very swiftly moving drop-off process at the Ivy, excuse me, recycling center.

Discussion Breakdown — Share of Meeting
Affordable Housing█████████████████17%
Budget Equity Analysis███████████████15%
Procedural████████████12%
Fiscal Sustainability████████████12%
Public Engagement██████████10%
Economic Development████████8%
Transportation Safety█████5%
Public Safety███3%
Community Well-being███3%
Summary of Proceedings

Albemarle County Board of Supervisors Meeting – April 15, 2026

The Albemarle County Board of Supervisors held a regular meeting on April 15, 2026, starting at 2:00 PM (delayed slightly) and continuing into the evening. The agenda included proclamations, public comments, a work session on AC44 implementation, closed session, and four public hearings on the fee schedule, real property tax rates, personal property tax rates, and the FY2027 proposed budget. Key outcomes included a split vote on a personal property tax increase for affordable housing, redirection of approximately $2.367 million from various reserves to the Affordable Housing Investment Fund and other priorities, and a commitment to add a bottle deposit bill to the county's legislative agenda.

Consent Calendar

  • Approved minutes of January 14, January 21, and February 4, 2026.
  • Authorized participation in the Six Remnant Defendants National Opioid Settlement.
  • Approved license agreement for additional Northside Library parking.
  • Approved utility easement along Townwood Drive.
  • Approved Free Bridge Lane discontinuance resolution.
  • Received quarterly reports from Facilities and Environmental Services, Albemarle County Service Authority, and Rivanna Water and Sewer Authority. (All consent items passed by recorded vote without objection.)

Public Comments & Testimony

Morning Session (Item 7):

  • Griffin Byrne (Samuel Miller District, Monticello High School senior) and Quinn Abdella (Scottsville District, Monticello High School senior) urged the board to support a statewide bottle deposit bill in 2027, citing benefits for reducing plastic pollution, protecting waterways, and fulfilling goals in the Comprehensive Plan and Climate Action Plan.
  • Phil Reese (Rivanna District) commented on the AstraZeneca project, praising bipartisan cooperation but urging the board to negotiate hard for taxpayers given the billions in incentives already offered; he noted the county holds a strong negotiating position due to proximity to UVA and the Manning Institute.
  • Gary Grant (Rio District) raised several items, including criticism of tax increases, questioning whether the board's budget approach measures activity versus achievement, and jokingly suggesting a casino instead of land deals.

Evening Session (Item 13):

  • Alicia Lanahan (Scottsville District) expressed concerns about federal interference in elections, citing a Brennan Center survey and Senator Mark Warner's comments; she asked the board to commit to ensuring the April 21 and November elections proceed without federal law enforcement presence.

Discussion Items

AC44 Implementation – Five Proposed Work Projects (Item 9): Staff from Community Development presented five work projects to implement the updated Comprehensive Plan (AC44): zoning modernization, activity center plans, multimodal transportation planning, rural area priorities/rural area plan, and AC44 administration/tracking. The presentation noted AC44 engaged over 2,700 people and identified 378 actions. Key discussion points:

  • Chair Galloway emphasized that housing and economic development must be integrated into all work projects, not treated separately. He urged staff to explicitly show how the Housing Albemarle update informs zoning, activity centers, and transportation planning.
  • Supervisor Pruitt questioned the timeline for the multimodal plan (through FY2029) and stressed the need for tangible outcomes.
  • Supervisor Mallek cautioned against repeating past plans, called for partner engagement (CACs), and raised concerns about watershed protection and careful handling of rural area priorities.
  • Staff acknowledged the interconnections and committed to refining the approach based on board feedback.

The board did not take a vote but provided guidance for staff to proceed with the five work projects while integrating housing and economic development.

Report from County Executive (Item 12): Mr. Richardson highlighted volunteer efforts during National Volunteer Week (April 19–25), noting:

  • Biscuit Run Park downhill bike area (95% complete) with 397 volunteer hours from CAMBC.
  • Park Ambassador program providing 234 hours since October 2025.
  • Southern Albemarle roadside cleanups organized by Ed Brooks involving 80 volunteers collecting 80 bags of trash.
  • Rivanna Conservation Alliance River Roundup: 1,162 volunteers cleaned 100 miles of streams/trash, removing 115 tires and 334 large bags.
  • Auxiliary police officers worked 920 hours in 2025.
  • Fire Rescue volunteers (480 operational/support) responded with career staff to 19,513 incidents in 2025.
  • The county has 56 active boards/commissions with 242 members.

Key Outcomes

  1. Proclamation: Unanimously approved recognizing May as Older Americans Month.
  2. Fee Schedule (Item 14): Public hearing held; board voted to defer action to April 22, 2026, for further review and benchmarking.
  3. Real Property Tax Rate (Item 15): Public hearing held; no immediate action; board will set final rate on April 22.
  4. Personal Property Tax Rate (Item 16): Public hearing held; a motion to direct staff to prepare a budget with a 15-cent increase (to $4.43 per $100) failed on a 3-3 vote (Pruitt, Duncan, Galloway in favor; Mallek, Missel, LaPisto-Kirtley opposed).
  5. FY2027 Budget (Item 17): Following public comment, the board voted (6-0) to direct staff to allocate approximately $2.367 million from identified sources (reduced economic development fund transfer, reserve releases, etc.) as follows:
    • $2.0 million to the Affordable Housing Investment Fund (AHIF)
    • $117,000 to the Albemarle County Emergency Relief Program (ACERP)
    • Remaining ~$250,000 to items D–H (including Dogwood Memorial, Foothills Child Advocacy, Charlottesville Ballet, etc.), with staff to determine final allocations considering one-time vs. ongoing uses.
    • Staff will return on April 22 with refined proposals for final adoption.
  6. Legislative Agenda: The board agreed to include support for a Virginia bottle deposit bill in the upcoming legislative cycle.
  7. Adjourned: To April 22, 2026, at 5:00 PM in Lane Auditorium.

Meeting Transcript

Thank you for your patience. I would like to call the Albemarle County Board of Supervisors to order for our April 15th, 2026 2 p.m. meeting, although we're running a little behind. Supervisors present. We have Supervisor Sally Duncan of the Jack Jewitt District, Supervisor B. Lapisto Kirtley of the Ravanna District, Supervisor Fred Missile of the Samuel Miller District, Supervisor Ann Malik of the Whitehall District, and Supervisor Mike Pruitt of the Scottsville District, myself, Ned Galloway of the Rio District. We also have with us today our county executive, Mr. Jeff Richardson, our county attorney, Mr. Andy Herrick, our board clerk, Miss Claudette Borgerson, and our senior deputy clerk, Mr. Travis Morris. I would like to thank our Almore County Police Department officers who are present with us today, Officer Trent Cole and Officer Dylan Shiplett. Thank you, gentlemen. And now, if everyone would please rise as you are able and join us in the Pledge of Allegiance. Thank you very much. All right, board, we will move to item number four, adoption of the final agenda. We do have a request from Supervisor Malik to add a discussion regarding support of a Virginia bottle bill under item uh number 18, which is matters from the board not listed on the agenda. Um that's for legislative. So that's uh uh that'll happen later in the uh meeting. Are there any other uh requests or changes to the final agenda? Is there a motion to adopt the final agenda as amended? So moved. Second. All right, the motion has been made and seconded without objection. The clerk will please call the roll. Ms. Malik, yes, Mr. Missel. Aye, Mr. Pruitt. Aye. Ms. Duncan, yes, Mr. Galloway? Yes. All right, very good. We'll move to number five. Brief announcements by board members. Supervisor Lapisto Kurtley. No announcements, because uh I know there's two other supervisors sort of biting at the bit saying what I was going to say. So I will let that them do that. Well, so generous of you, Supervisor. Oh, thank you. Supervisor Missile. And I'm not one of those. So no comments. Thank you. Supervisor Pruitt. Uh I would like to take this opportunity to remind everyone the thing that I'm sure you have received quite a lot of postcards reminding you of already this week. Uh, and that is this is the final week of early voting on the constitutional amendment that Virginia is considering. Uh, because it's the final week, early voting will continue through Saturday, the 18th.

SUMMARIZED BY OPENPUBLICA AI
TRANSCRIPT VIA PUBLIC VIDEO
openpublica.com