The Rockbridge County Board of Supervisors got its first glimpse on Monday of a draft budget for the upcoming 2027 fiscal year. The gap between projected revenues and proposed expenditures at this early stage of the budget planning process is $1,135,339.
Total revenues are projected to be $69,023,044, including $5,820,053 in the use of reserves for capital projects; $724,905 in the use of restricted reserves from emergency management services recovery fees; and $483,561 from capital reserves for the proposed community recreation center bond payment. Total expenditures would be $70,158,383, which is $4,481,733, or 6.82 percent higher than in the current fiscal year.
The draft, presented by Ashton Harrison, the county’s finance director, includes 3 percent pay raises for county employees at a cost of $393,671. Harrison said the cost of the proposed raises could be partially offset by revenues from the state but that a funding agreement has not yet been reached by state legislators. The General Assembly is slated to complete its 2026 session this weekend, at which time state funding for localities will be known.
Health insurance premiums are projected to increase by 15.6 percent, or $313,125, which would be the first increase in two years. The personnel committee will be examining contribution rates between the employer and employees before making a recommendation to the supervisors.
The school division’s preliminary requested increase is $1,128,425, but this number will likely change once state funding for the schools is determined.
Funding for architectural and engineering work for a proposed new jail has been set at $1,230,000 but the finance committee is recommending that this project be removed from the draft budget because more information is needed, including a requested funding schedule.
Harrison reported that sales and lodging tax revenues are preliminarily estimated higher based on current year trends, and that meals tax revenues are preliminarily estimated to be lower, also based on current year trends. He noted that the finance committee and staff will be examining revenues estimates throughout the budget planning process.
There were several requests for funding that Harrison alluded to that have not been recommended by the finance committee but which committee members wanted feedback from the full board. These included additional 2 percent raises (to a total of 5 percent) for sheriff’s office employees at a cost of $77,847, $31,895 to elevate a part-time position in the victim witness office to full-time, $8,516 for the treasurer’s office, $10,000 for the Rockbridge Area Health Center, $44,701 to fully fund non-contractual external organizations above level funding, and $35,000 in new funding for the Advancement Foundation, Community Table, Rockbridge Connect and Nourish and Valley Children’s Advocacy Center.
