Chesterfield County Board of Supervisors Meeting - August 26, 2026

The Chesterfield County Board of Supervisors met on August 26, 2026, beginning with a 2 p.m. work session and continuing into an evening session that stretched past 11 p.m. The meeting included routine approvals, recognitions, and extensive discussions on the Powhite Parkway Extension, the FY2027 finance update, and a detailed data centers update. The evening session featured numerous public hearings and zoning cases, including a high-profile proposal to dedicate data center revenue to reduce the personal property (car) tax rate, which was deferred to the September 23rd meeting.

Consent Calendar

• Approved minutes of the July 22, 2026 board meeting and the August 24, 2026 swearing-in ceremony for Dr. Kevin Catlin.
• Recognized 32 National Association of Counties (NACo) Achievement Award winners, including a Best in Category award for the Read to Recovery program.
• Adopted resolutions recognizing the retirements of Sergeant Rodrick W. Brown (Police Department, 31 years) and Kimberly D. Ritchey (Community Corrections Services, 30 years), as well as four other retirees on consent (Jeffrey Edwards, Newton Georgel III, Daniel Shuklis, and Weatherly Bristow), totaling 176 years of service.
• Approved consent agenda items including grant acceptances (jail mental health, FAA/DOAV airport runway, opioid abatement funds), FY2027 budget amendments, CSB performance contract, Powhite Parkway Extension finance plan, and construction contracts for Ettrick Fire Station No. 12 replacement ($11.1 million), the Shared Warehouse, and Centralia Elevated Water Storage Tank.

Public Comments & Testimony

• Justin Goodman was the only speaker signed up for the first citizen comment period but was not present.
• Pam Smith (33-year resident) urged the board to uphold its charter to protect residents, requested five-minute speaking time, and asked for physical mailings about major decisions, noting some residents lack internet access.
• Jenny Castle (Bermuda district) expressed concerns about transparency and moral integrity in county decisions, stating growth without principle is "chaos" and urged leaders to consider families over developers.
• Thomas Watson (McCoy's 100 subdivision) criticized DEQ and the county for handling of the landfill/leachate issue, noting the county approved the quarry fill in 1997 and the supervisor board was unaware of the 2024 leachate problem until 2026. He cited a $10 million state allocation versus a $170 million long-term need.
• Sean Scott (spoke unregistered) raised concerns about Flock cameras, arguing citizens did not get to vote or attend public meetings on their deployment.
• During the data centers presentation, multiple attendees expressed frustration about the lack of questions allowed and the late-night timing of the data center tax revenue public hearing.

Discussion Items

• Everyday Excellence – Geospatial Services: Recognized the team for process improvements reducing real estate logits processing from 28 days to 10 days, subdivision digitization from 8 days to 3 days, and address review from multiple days to 1 day. Discussed USPS coordination and public safety benefits.
• Powhite Parkway Extension Update: Staff presented the full 10-mile corridor with Phase 1 (northern end, fully funded at $150 million, construction to start end of 2026) and Phase 2 (south, $565 million total project, $300 million secured). The finance plan on consent satisfied a proffer condition for Upper Magnolia Green West. Mr. Carroll noted a $10 million federal grant and $21.6 million CVTA funding, and that the 75-cent toll on Courthouse Road will end January 2027.
• Finance Update: Mr. Harris and Mr. Durkin presented a $15 million net increase for schools from the state budget, allocated to teacher compensation (state share rose from 2% to 4%), special education allotment ($3.9 million for 4 teachers and 23 instructional assistants), preschool initiative ($2.4 million), technology/debt service, and a bonus program. County-side items included reallocating CASM funds to Colonial Heights Food Pantry ($5,000) and Underground Kitchen ($7,500), and a $600,000 housing service supplement pilot. Discussed the upcoming 1% sales tax referendum, the addition of a 15% tier to senior tax relief, and the business license threshold increase to $750,000.
• Data Centers Update (major work session): Staff presented a comprehensive overview of existing and proposed data centers, emphasizing that data centers pay the same 89-cent real estate tax rate as residents, with a reduced 24-cent equipment rate as an incentive. The Google/Project Peanut investment is $9 billion across three campuses. Staff projected that full build-out could add $8-13 million per campus annually, shifting the residential/commercial tax burden from 79/21 to 76/24, an 18% increase in the commercial tax base. The proposal to dedicate all new data center revenue to reduce the personal property tax rate from $3.25 to potentially $2.25 was presented. Community members expressed concerns about transparency, water usage, noise, and the late-night scheduling.

Zoning Requests

• Deferred Items:

  • 24SN1115 Walton Station (Midlothian) – deferred to November 18, 2026.
  • 25SN1336 McConnell RV Parking (Bermuda) – Approved with condition that future complaints prompt re-evaluation.
  • 25SN1254 Robious Road Rezoning (Midlothian) – Denied (4-0-1), with Mr. Miller citing safety on the high-injury network and unjustified adjustment to project size. Mr. Ingle abstained.

• Consent Zoning Approvals:

  • 24SN1350 East Hundred Road Self-Storage (Bermuda) – Approved with conditions.
  • 25SN1158 McDonough Equipment Wholesale & Storage (Matoaca) – Approved over staff recommendation, citing community support.
  • 26HP2157 George Perdue House Historic Designation Reduction (Matoaca) – Approved.
  • 26HP2168 Perdue-Mitchell House Historic Designation Reduction (Matoaca) – Approved.
  • 26SN2068 7-Eleven Convenience Store Amendment (Clover Hill) – Approved with conditions.
  • 26SN2080 Charleston Landing Rezoning (Matoaca) – Deferred to September 23, 2026.
  • 26SN2088 Womack Road Rezoning (Bermuda) – Approved.

• Discussion Cases:

  • 22SN0073 Big E Ranch Rezoning (Matoaca) – Approved (548.88 acres, 65 lots, minimum five acres, average 10 acres).
  • 23SN0072 Midlothian Microtel (Midlothian) – Deferred to September 23, 2026.
  • 25SN1184 Spring Creek Baptist Church Rezoning (Matoaca) – Approved (up to 12 lots). Mr. Carroll referenced new state law allowing by-right multifamily on church property.
  • 25SN1208 Spring Run Road Rezoning (Matoaca) – Approved (199 dwellings, 1.94 units/acre), striking the cell tower conditional use. Connectivity waiver approved.
  • 25SN1223 Garcia Tree Service Business & ADU (Dale) – Denied home occupation but approved accessory dwelling unit.
  • 25SN1354 Elder Property Rezoning & Adjustments (Bermuda) – Approved with connectivity waiver; community engagement emphasized.
  • 26SN2139 Dominion Sycamore Springs Switching Station (Bermuda) – Approved (30 acres, electrical switching station, not a transformer substation).

Public Hearings

• Chapter 6 Business Licenses: Approved increasing the threshold from $550,000 to $750,000.
• Chapter 9 Elderly and Disabled Tax Relief: Approved adding a fourth tier of 15% relief. Ms. Aldred and board members requested better advertising. Mr. Harris noted the program now totals $29 million in relief.
• Chapter 9 Data Center-Derived Tax Revenue Allocation: This proposal to set aside all new data center revenue to reduce the personal property tax rate was deferred to September 23, 2026 after extensive discussion. Multiple speakers criticized the late posting and timing; board members Dr. Hilton, Ms. Schneider, and Mr. Carroll expressed interest in further community input.
• Zoning Ordinance Amendment (Chapter 19.2): Approved, incorporating 2026 General Assembly mandates, corrections, map fixes, and cross-reference updates.
• Airport FBO Lease Amendments (Vantage Aviation): Approved, adjusting fee retention to 10%, increasing transient ramp fees, and adding video production fees.
• Conveyance of 4731 Black Oak Drive: Approved to convey to Habitat for Humanity, with interest in prioritizing county or school employees.
• Abandonment of Meadowville Road (State Route 618): Approved.

Key Outcomes

• All consent items and most zoning cases were approved as recommended.
• The Robious Road rezoning was denied and the Midlothian Microtel and Charleston Landing cases were deferred.
• The data center revenue allocation ordinance was deferred to September 23, 2026, ensuring more public discussion.
• The board approved extending the meeting beyond 11 p.m. and adjourned to September 23, 2026 at 2 p.m. in Room 502 of the County Administration Building.