This week in county government; Supervisors talk FY25 budget, approve CUP for contractor's office on Kentucky Springs Road
Engage Louisa is a nonpartisan newsletter that keeps folks informed about Louisa County government. We believe our community is stronger and our government serves us better when we increase transparency, accessibility, and engagement.
This week in county government: public meetings, Jan. 22 through Jan. 27
For the latest information on county meetings including public meetings of boards, commissions, authorities, work groups, and internal county committees, click here. (Note: Louisa County occasionally schedules internal committee/work group meetings after publication time. Check the county’s website for the most updated information).
Thursday, January 25
Finance Committee, Louisa County Office Building, 1 Woolfolk Ave., Louisa, 9 am.
Friday, January 26
Louisa County Board of Supervisors, special meeting, Executive Board Room, Louisa County Office Building, 1 Woolfolk Ave., Louisa, 3 pm. (public notice)
The board will hold a special meeting to interview a candidate or candidates for the county attorney position.
Additional information about Louisa County’s upcoming public meetings is available here.
Interested in taking your talents to one of the county’s numerous boards and commissions? Find out more here including which boards have vacancies and how to apply.
Supervisors talk FY25 budget, approve CUP for contractor’s office on Kentucky Springs Road
The Louisa County Board of Supervisors on Tuesday night convened for its second meeting of calendar year 2024, briefly discussing the Fiscal Year 2025 budget, approving a request for a Conditional Use Permit for a contractor’s office on Kentucky Springs Road and more. (meeting materials, video)
One notable item that the board didn’t consider is GK Structures, LLC’s request to rezone, from A-1 to A-2, 21.9 acres on Halls Store Road in eastern Louisa County. The rezoning would allow the developer to divide the property into seven residential lots, four more than what’s permitted under its current zoning. At the request of the applicant, the board deferred consideration of the item until its Feb. 5 meeting.
The proposal has sparked opposition from neighbors who complained at the Planning Commission’s public hearing that the rezoning would increase traffic on Halls Store Road and disrupt the rural character of their neighborhood.
After delaying consideration of the application at its November meeting, the commission recommended denial in December after rejecting the applicant’s request for a deferral. Representatives from GK Structures didn’t show up at either of the commission’s meetings.
Supes kick off FY25 budget process: Though the calendar year just turned to 2024, the Louisa County Board of Supervisors on Tuesday officially kicked off the Fiscal Year 2025 budget process. FY25 spans from July 1, 2024 to June 30, 2025 and, over the next several months, supervisors will determine how the county will spend millions of dollars in public funds.
The annual budget funds both the county’s daily operations—everything from employees’ salaries to fuel for fire trucks—and its Capital Improvement Plan (CIP), which includes big-ticket items like new school buildings, infrastructure projects and emergency service equipment.
The county draws its funding from local, state and federal sources with about half its revenue coming from general property taxes. As part of the budget process, the board sets local tax rates on everything from real estate to automobiles and airplanes.
Finance Director Wanda Colvin provided the board with what she described as a “very, very, very preliminary” look at the county’s projected revenues and expenditures for FY25 with the caveat that staff doesn’t have a clear picture of how much money the county will receive from state and federal sources or from local taxes. She also noted that the county’s expenses are based on requests from department heads and other agencies, which haven’t been considered in detail by the board.
Colvin said that, at the midpoint of FY24, the county’s anticipated revenues and expenses for the coming fiscal year are outpacing last year’s projections. The county’s revenues are expected to rise to $167.1 million, a roughly $13 million increase over FY24 when discounting for a one-time $11.59 million economic development grant that the county received from the state in the current fiscal year. Its operating expenses could top $157.8 million, $10.8 million more than in FY24. And its capital budget could soar to $73.7 million, $32.5 million more than the current fiscal year.
If those numbers hold steady, the county would be left with a $9.3 million operating surplus, which could be used toward its hefty capital budget, Colvin said. The county also has $13.75 million in unencumbered money available in its general fund—generally considered the county’s checking account—and another $16.5 million socked away in a capital reserve fund, the county’s savings account. Of that, about $5.8 million is earmarked for Louisa County Public Schools’ capital projects, Colvin said, but the division could tap some of that money to cover rising staffing costs.
The county’s projected nine percent rise in revenue is driven by a variety of factors, most notably an anticipated 11 percent, or $5.63 million, jump in proceeds from real estate taxes. That figure is based on an estimated six percent rise in the fair market value of real estate—including new construction and improvements—and an assumption that supervisors won’t offer a five percent real estate tax rebate as they did last year.
The board approved the one-time rebate last May after assessments on existing homes rose about 14 percent county-wide. The soaring assessments sparked outrage from some residents who accused supervisors of raising taxes. The board chose to provide the rebate instead of lowering the tax rate, which has sat at 72 cents per $100 of assessed value since 2015.
Colvin said that the projected revenue is based on adopting the same real estate tax rate as last year. If the board decides to lower the rate or renew the rebate, the county’s revenue would decrease. A one penny change in the tax rate equates to just over a million dollars in revenue.
Mountain Road District Supervisor Tommy Barlow, perhaps the board’s most fiscally conservative member and the only supervisor to vote against last year’s budget, asked Colvin how much she expects assessments on existing homes to rise this year, calling last year’s assessments “ridiculous.” Colvin said that the assessor’s office hasn’t provided final numbers for FY25, noting that the six percent projection represents revenue from real estate including new construction and improvements.
Colvin said other revenues are also on the rise when compared to FY24. She anticipates a 309 percent, or $1.19 million, jump in revenue from the county’s transient occupancy tax, a 17.2 percent, or $1 million, increase in sales tax revenue, a 4.1 percent, or $568,000, rise in proceeds from personal property taxes and an 8.6 percent, or $150,000, jump in meal tax revenue.
The anticipated increase in personal property tax revenue assumes that the board adopts its current tax rate of $2.43 per $100 of assessed value for individuals and $1.90 per $100 of assessed value for most businesses.
The board hiked the transient occupancy tax from two percent to seven percent in November, which accounts for that sizable revenue increase, Colvin said, noting that part of the expected windfall must be spent on tourism-related initiatives, per state code. The tax is tacked on to customers’ bills when they stay overnight at a hotel, bed or breakfast or short-term rental.
The county also expects to pull in an additional $1.02 million from its use of money and property, a 112 percent increase. High interest rates mean it’s accruing more interest on deposits, Colvin said. It’s also drawing more money from rental property.
Just as revenues are on the rise, so too are expenses. Based on preliminary requests, Colvin said that the county’s operating expenses are expected to jump about 7.3 percent or $10.8 million over FY24. Driving that increase is an anticipated 10 percent hike in employees’ health insurance costs, a potential two percent raise for county employees and just over $1 million in additional funding for more firefighters and medics. The Fire and EMS Department is requesting six new full-time and 10 new part-time firefighter/medic positions, and two part-time staffers to handle training and logistics.
The cost of running Louisa County Public Schools (LCPS), which typically comprises about 60 percent of the county’s annual operating budget, is also expected to push spending upward. While the division hasn’t formally adopted its budget and it’s unclear how much money it will receive from state and federal sources, Colvin anticipates its operating expenses will rise $5.075 million with about $2 million of that offset by a hike in state funding. That increase includes a four percent raise for teachers, matching a raise for county staff, Colvin said. (County employees received a two percent raise in December and another two percent raise is included in the preliminary FY25 budget).
Beyond operating expenses, Colvin anticipates a steep increase in capital spending with the draft CIP for FY25 reaching over $73 million. The lion’s share of those requests—some $53 million—come from LCPS.
The division is asking for at least $26 million to build a 500-seat addition at Louisa County Middle School and at least $25 million to build a Career and Technical Education Center adjacent to Louisa County High School. Superintendent of Schools Doug Straley has said at several public meetings that the division is considering expanding the CTE center to accommodate more students and provide additional space in the high school, but he hasn’t indicated how much that would cost.
Colvin said that while the county could tap both its operating surplus and reserves to chip away at capital costs, it expects to issue nearly $60 million in debt this spring to pay for school construction. The debt issuance is also expected to cover a $7.5 million request to overhaul the Lake Anna Wastewater Treatment Plant, which the county purchased last year to support economic development along the Route 208 corridor.
The county could issue another $20.8 million in debt to deliver water and sewer infrastructure to the Shannon Hill Regional Business Park and to pay for two turfs fields behind the middle school, projects that were included in the FY24 CIP. The utility infrastructure would take the bulk of the money—about $17 million—with the rest of that roughly $28 million project covered by the $11.59 million state grant.
Looking ahead, Colvin said that the county would be on the hook for $61,000 a year for every million dollars of debt it issues based on a 30-year amortization schedule.
The board will hold its first budget work session of the FY25 cycle on Monday, February 5 at 3 pm, just prior to its regular meeting. Supervisors are expected to discuss funding for outside agencies—organizations that aren’t officially part of county government, but partner with the locality to provide services—as well as the CIP.
Before adopting its spending plan this spring, the board will hold several work sessions and public hearings. Learn more about the FY25 budget process and check out the current budget here.
Citizens weigh in with budget requests
Though the annual budget process is just kicking into high gear, residents are already lobbying for funding for several projects.
During the meeting’s public comment period, four community members encouraged supervisors to support Parks and Recreation Director James Smith’s request for $6.6 million over the next two fiscal years for construction of a multipurpose recreation center that would include space for basketball, volleyball, pickleball, exercise classes and more.
Smith is asking for $600,000 in FY25 to design the facility and $6 million in FY26 to build it. The speakers told the board that they specifically support Smith’s proposal because it would provide space for more indoor pickleball courts. They say the courts are needed to support the game’s burgeoning popularity. Pickleball players also showed up at the board’s January 2 meeting to make their case for the rec center.
Two other speakers told the board they support Smith’s request for $375,000 in FY25 for a concrete skate park. Prior to 2012, the county operated a skate park adjacent to the Betty Queen Center, but it was dismantled to make way for mobile units that served as a temporary home for the Louisa County Health Department. When the park was removed, county officials told skateboard enthusiasts that they’d replace the facility when the health department found a permanent home. The department moved to a county-owned building in the Town of Louisa in December.
Louisa District resident Melissa Young said that she has two children, one who plays soccer and the other who skateboards. She said the county does a good job providing opportunities for kids who play team sports, but finding places for her son to practice skateboarding is trickier.
“My son who plays soccer (travels) to play soccer but, if he wants to practice, there are fields he can go kick a ball around. If my son who skateboards brings his skateboard and wants to ride around on sidewalks and jump off curbs, that’s kind of frowned upon and we understand that. But saying no without giving (him) an alternative place to practice his sport sends the message that (he’s) not welcome,” Young said. “So, I’d like to suggest, with the Olympics now recognizing skateboarding and it being on TV as an Olympic sport this summer, and with it growing in popularity throughout the country, we should be ahead of that and offer a place for people in our community to practice the sport.”
In response to growing community concerns about the county’s limited parks and rec facilities, Board Chair Duane Adams appointed Green Springs District Supervisor Rachel Jones and Louisa District Supervisor Manning Woodward to a workgroup tasked with considering both short and long-term plans for expanding and enhancing recreation facilities. It’s unclear when the workgroup will convene its first meeting or when it will report back to the board.
As part of a formal presentation Tuesday night, two representatives from the Dolly Parton Imagination Library (DPIL), Pat Hanley and Maggie Morris, also made a plea for county support, asking supervisors to fund 25 percent of the program’s operating cost—up to $10,000—in the coming fiscal year.
Started by the country music legend in east Tennessee about 30 years ago, DPIL aims to foster a love for reading in young children. Over the last three decades, it has blossomed into a national book-gifting initiative for children under five years old and now has a growing Louisa County affiliate.
Hanley and Morris told the board that the program mails an age-appropriate book to participating children each month for free and the only requirement for local enrollment is residency in Louisa County.
Since launching in the county last October, the program has enrolled 656 children, according to the DPIL website, with a goal of reaching 1,500. Hanley estimates that there are 2,000 children under five living in Louisa.
The program currently receives 50 percent of its funding from the state and relies on private donations, including support from the Louisa County Rotary Foundation, to cover the rest of its costs, namely paying for books and postage. If it reaches its enrollment goal, it will cost $40,000 a year to run the program.
Supervisors will consider DPIL’s ask when they review requests from outside agencies at the Feb. 5 work session. Last year, the county allocated about $6 million to support the agencies including discretionary and mandatory contributions. Outside agency requests are up about $277,000 for FY25, according to Colvin.
Supes approve CUP for contractor’s office on Kentucky Springs Road: Supervisors held a public hearing and unanimously approved Stafford Contracting, LLC’s request for a Conditional Use Permit to allow a contractor’s office and shop on a 1.12-acre parcel (tmp 30-18-4) on Kentucky Springs Road (Route 652) in the Cuckoo Election District. The property is zoned light commercial (C-1) and in the Lake Anna Growth Area Overlay District.
Christian Ellis, Stafford Contracting’s owner, plans to build a 3,500-square foot metal building to store work vehicles, equipment, tools and related materials for his home improvement and general contracting business. In his presentation to the Planning Commission in December, Ellis said that he recently moved to Lake Anna from Stafford County and can’t keep the vehicles and equipment at his new home due to HOA regulations.
Ellis told the board that the building would generate little traffic because of the nature of his business, which requires work to be done at customers’ homes. He plans to share a commercial entrance with an adjoining property owner who’s preparing to open a restaurant.
According to a preliminary site plan, Ellis plans to construct the storage building near the middle of the lot. He plans to rely on existing trees and supplemental plantings to provide a visual buffer for adjoining properties.
Supervisors approved the CUP with six conditions including a prohibition on external storage of equipment, vehicles, and supplies and a requirement that all exterior lighting is dark-sky compliant.
Jackson District Supervisor Toni Williams, a contractor by trade, expressed some concern with the prohibition on outdoor storage. Williams wondered if the condition should be reworded to ensure that parking vehicles on the property overnight wouldn’t be considered a violation of the CUP.
But Ellis said that he didn’t have an issue with the condition, noting that he would be the only one using the property and there would be plenty of space inside the building. He added that he relies heavily on subcontractors who have their own equipment and transport it to and from job sites.
“I don’t want to bother any residents. I want to fit within the fabric of the community,” he said. “We build homes. We improve homes…Nobody meets me at this business. They want to meet at their house and discuss what we can do at their place.”
In addition to the CUP, the board approved a proffer amendment that permits the use on the property. When the parcel was rezoned to light commercial in 2007, the applicant included about 30 permitted uses in a proffer statement attached to the rezoning. The list didn’t include a contractor’s office.
In motioning to approve the rezoning and proffer amendment, Cuckoo District Supervisor Chris McCotter said that he had discussed Ellis’ request with his planning commissioner, county staff and VDOT, and they addressed any concerns he had.
McCotter added that given the anticipated commercial and industrial growth along Kentucky Springs Road—including an AWS data center campus less than a mile away—the county should be “vigilant” in planning for future growth and may need to request an adjustment to the road’s 55-mile-per-hour speed limit.
Board plans to launch photo contest: Some local color could soon adorn the walls of the Public Meeting Room in the Louisa County Office Building.
Supervisors agreed to form a workgroup to organize a contest to select photographs to hang in the Public Meeting Room where the Board of Supervisors meets twice a month and other county boards and committees convene.
According to County Administrator Christian Goodwin and Board Chair Duane Adams, a committee will select photographs of landscapes from each of the county’s seven election districts. The county will have the photos professionally framed then display them in the meeting room. County residents will have an opportunity to submit photographs for consideration.
“This is your meeting room, the public’s meeting room. You could (decide) how many pictures you wanted and select the best from the group and go from there,” Goodwin said.
The board is expected to provide more details about the contest at an upcoming meeting.
Click here for contact information for the Louisa County Board of Supervisors.
Find agendas and minutes from previous Board of Supervisors and Planning Commission meetings as well as archived recordings here.
Click here for contact information for the Louisa County School Board.
Click here for minutes and agendas for School Board meetings. Click here for archived video.
Click here to access past editions of Engage Louisa.