Charles City’s $48 million proposed budget includes no tax increase, focuses on CIP

A proposed budget for Charles City County will see no tax increase, but nearly $7 million more needed to address capital improvement needs.

Charles City County Administrator Keith Rogers Jr. presented a $48,456,117 proposed FY2026-27 budget during a Monday afternoon board meeting. That figure is up 16 percent from the county’s current budget of $41,638,855.

Citing the need to address capital needs, Rogers’ presentation focused on more than $8 million in addressing the county’s wastewater plant issues. Under the proposal, funding will be used to address issues at the Kimages Wastewater Plant ($3 million), the Courthouse Complex plant ($2.5 million), and the Ruthville Wastewater Plant ($2.5 million). Approximately $200,00 will be used to address needed at Charles City Courthouse, while $45,000 has been designated to address fleet replacement for the county.

The real estate tax rate is currently set to remain the same at 69 cents per $100 of assessed values. Each penny is the equivalent of $103,000 for the county. Rogers said that the primary concern in the past was the lack of collecting taxes which has hurt county operations. The county administrator said that more than a million dollars has been lost due to lower than projected collection rates on taxes.

The county’s general fund decreased from $24,318,692 in the current year to a projected $23,045,529 as many agencies saw level or reduced funding.

Charles City County Public School’s total funding is projected at $13,992,238, with the local contribution being recommended at $7,851,161. According to Rogers, that amount is the equivalent of a five-percent increase, up from the current year’s county contribution of $7,498,400.

The school board had requested $8,923,281 in local funds to address their high priority needs. Rogers commented that while he understands the needs of the school system, approximately $1 million in funding will be delayed for the school system, pending the results of the 2027 real estate reassessment and tax adjustment process. If that funding does come to fruition, Rogers says it will be used primarily to address teacher’s salaries.

Rogers concluded by saying that the budget presented to county leaders reflects the discontinuation of practices in the past that included using one-time funds to offset costs.

County supervisors elected not to comment on the budget, saying they will reserve them for their Apr. 7 budget work session. A public hearing on the budget is scheduled for Apr. 16, with budget approval expected to take place on Apr. 28.