Augusta County, VA
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Fiscal Year 2025 Budget, Proposed Tax Rates, Public Hearings
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The Board of Supervisors will hold a public hearing for the fiscal year 2024-2025 (FY25) advertised budget on April 17, 2024, at 7 pm. Materials for the FY25 Budget can be found on the website along with an engagement survey.
The Board of Supervisors will hold a public hearing for the fiscal year 2024-2025 (FY25) advertised budget at a special meeting on April 17, 2024, at 7 pm in the Boardroom at the Government Center.
For general budget Information, please visit www.augustacountyva.gov/budget and find links to current and past budget documents including the FY25 Budget engagement page. On the engagement page, please participate in the budget feedback survey, which will remain open through Wednesday, April 17.
In an effort to proactively prepare for financial stability amidst the future additions of planned capital projects, debt service, and operating needs, the county's FY25 Five-Year Financial Plan forecasts the growth of expected revenues and expenditures.
After the public hearing on April 17, the Board will make final revisions to the advertised budget. Approval of the FY25 budget is scheduled for April 24 at the regular Board of Supervisors meeting (the date for approval is tentative and subject to change).
Revisions to the Recommended Budget
At the budget work session on March 25, the Board of Supervisors revised the recommended budget to include:
Board of Supervisors Budget Work Session - March 25, 2024
| Recommended Budget – General Fund | $126,292,850 | |
| Work session revisions: | ||
| Expenditures | ||
| FY25 Budget: | ||
| 21060-1100-2700 | Court Clerk's Office: historical records archivist | 57,275 |
| 31020-11-2700 | Sheriff's Office: training sergeant & evidence sergeant (salaries & equipment) | 406,431 |
| 31020 & 22010 | Body Worn Camera & Fleet Program (including personnel) | 877,049 |
| 32010 & 32030 | Fire-Rescue: Strategic Plan - 3 FF, 11 EMS, 2 Training Staff | 1,009,574 |
| 32010-3110 | Remove Ultrasound Comp. Screening (Fire-Rescue) | (44,500) |
| various | Supplement Constitutional Officers Salaries | 39,912 |
| 94000-070 | Econ. Dev. Allocation | 800,000 |
| various | Allocation for Pay & Reclassification Study by Berkley Group | 400,000 |
| 94000-045 | Courthouse Debt Service | 4,106,051 |
| 33050-7002 | Reinstate Middle River Regional Jail operational funding | 2,500,000 |
| 94000-070 | Reinstate Capital funding | 1,632,339 |
| 094000-044 | School allocation for buses | 615,869 |
| $12,400,000 | ||
| Revenues | ||
| Increase cigarette tax to $0.30/pack |
$400,000 | |
| Reassessment | $12,000,000 | |
| $12,400,000 | ||
| Total Advertised Budget – General Fund | $138,692,850 | |
Proposed Tax Rates
From the 2024 reassessment of real estate, the total assessed value of real estate property increased over last year’s values by 51.3 percent.
The lowered, or equalized, tax rate which would levy the same amount of real estate tax revenue as last year is $0.42 per $100 of assessed value.
The proposed tax rate for FY25 is a rate of $0.52 per $100 of assessed value, which represents a $0.10 per $100 or 23.8 percent increase over the real property revenue calculated at the equalized rate. A $0.52 real property tax rate would increase general fund revenues by $12 million.
The tax rates proposed for 2024 include the following:
| 2023 | 2024 | |
| Real Estate | $0.63 | $0.52 |
| Personal Property | ||
|
Vehicles - auto and motorcycle |
$2.60 | $2.60 |
|
Business, large trucks, machinery and tools |
$2.00 | $2.00 |
|
Campers, boats, boat trailers, horse trailers, airplanes, trailers |
$2.60 | $2.60 |
The Proposed Budget for FY 2024-2025
The advertised general fund budget details $138.6 million in general fund spending, a 16.6% percent increase from the original FY24 budget.
Of the general fund revenue:
- Local revenues total $122.5 million (an 8.8% increase over FY24) and
- Combined state and federal revenue totals $14.5 million, an increase of approximately $470,528 (a 3.3% increase) over FY24.
The Board considered facets of the FY25 Five-Year Financial Plan and department budget requests to arrive at the total expenditures in the advertised budget.
How can you participate in the budget process?
There are several ways:
- Participate in the budget engagement survey.
- Submit an e-comment on the Meetings and Agenda page or at www.AugustaCountyVA.gov/speak.
- Email the Board of Supervisors at board@co.augusta.va.us.
- Leave a voice message at 540-245-5600.
- Watch the Board of Supervisors meeting livestream: RegionalWebTV
- Attend a meeting in person (find the schedule here).
You can also sign up for e-notices for the budget and county finance at www.AugustaCountyVA.gov/e-notices – check the topic for ‘Administration, Policy, Finance.’
Helpful Links
General Information about the Budget Process
FY25 Budget Handout for Public Hearing – including revisions from the Board of Supervisors from their March 25 budget work session (will be linked when available)