February 27, 2025: More details on Albemarle County’s proposed budget for FY26
Charlottesville City Schools name first principal of future preschool center
It may say a lot about the ethos of Town Crier Productions that we are now up to February 27 and members of the reading audience have not yet been told that the Virginia General Assembly has designated this month as Self-Care Month and when you look at the enabling legislation from 2017, this phrase is defined as “a lifelong daily habit of healthy lifestyle choices, good hygiene practices, prevention of infection and illness, avoiding unhealthy choices, monitoring for signs and symptoms of changes in health, knowing when to consult a health care practitioner, and knowing when it is appropriate to self-treat conditions.”
This is Charlottesville Community Engagement for this day and I’m Sean Tubbs, wondering what this blurb might have been if I’d done “Love the Bus Month” instead?
In today’s installment:
Governor Glenn Youngkin issues executive order deputizing state law enforcement officers to enforce immigration laws (editor’s note: This will be in the next edition)
Charlottesville City Schools name the first principal for the future preschool center
There are now fewer trees lining West Main Street in Charlottesville
The United States Supreme Court sides with John Dewberry and throws out a $43 million damages award in a trademark violation case
More details on the unveiling of Albemarle County’s budget for FY26
First shout-out: Several things ReLeaf Cville Did in 2024
In today’s first subscriber-supported: ReLeaf Cville seeks to help restore the amount of the city that is covered by trees. Here are some of their efforts since 2022.
• Planted over 300 trees particularly in neighborhoods with low tree cover, including 10th and Page and Rose Hill. Most recently in the Woolen Mills, working with the Rivanna Conservation Alliance, the group will have planted 135 trees to help keep the Rivanna River clean.
• Started a three-year Tree Preservation Program with a $189.9K grant from Virginia Department of Forestry to provide free tree care to 28 Fifeville homeowners to help preserve 48 mature trees this winter.
• Educated over 540 students about the value of trees and nature in the City and developing a Green Team of 15 teenagers every year. This group is taught about the value of trees and nature in the City. After teaching them how to approach people going door – to- door, they canvas the neighborhoods asking if we can plant trees in homeowners yards. This winter the Green Team, working with the Rivanna Conservation Alliance, is removing invasive plants and plant new tree seedlings to refurbish forested areas.
• Environmental Education Summit. With a grant from Clean Virginia, in mid-February the group will hold a summit with over 30 organizations involved in environmental education
Charlottesville City School names head of new preschool
A transformation is underway at Charlottesville City Schools with the construction of new buildings at Buford Middle School and renovation of existing ones in order to allow sixth grade to return to the site for the first time since the 1980’s.
When the work is complete in the summer of 2026, fifth graders will return to the six elementary schools freeing up what’s currently known as Walker Upper Elementary School. That building will be converted into a new preschool center.
This week, Charlottesville City Schools announced that Dr. Elizabeth Korab will serve as that facility’s first principal when it opens in the fall of 2026.
“I am so excited for the chance to lead the preschool – a strong early childhood foundation is vital for school success,” said Dr. Korab in a press release. “I look forward to collaborating with our preschool team to build a center and establishing a strong partnership for our youngest students and their families.”
Korab is currently principal at Burnley-Moran Elementary School which will be renamed to Sunrise Elementary this fall. A search for a replacement has already begun. Korab will spend the next academic year planning for the first year of operations of the preschool center.
Charlottesville has removed several trees from West Main Street
If you’ve traveled on West Main Street in the past few weeks, you may have noticed that several trees have been reduced to their trunks.
In all, the Parks and Recreation Department have removed 10 Zelkova trees and pruned 11 along the road that connects the University of Virginia with Downtown Charlottesville.
“The trees that were removed were deemed hazardous due to the level of their decline and their relative locations,” said Steven Gaines, the city’s urban forester.
By locations, Gaines refers to their proximity to street corners, lights and crosswalks.
“It is likely that additional trees along West Main will be pruned in the coming months, but there are no immediate plans for further tree removals this year,” Gaines said.
A request for additional information from the city is pending at publication time.
In the last decade, the City of Charlottesville paid millions of dollars for a detailed plan to upgrade infrastructure on West Main Street that was ultimately canceled by City Council in the summer of 2022.
One of the issues identified in the Rhodeside & Harwell plan was a “monoculture of trees.”
Part of the solution was to plant new trees in specially designed cells that would keep roots from growing out into the sidewalk. Take a look at these in a presentation made to the Architectural Review Board. (materials)
U.S. Supreme Court throws out $43 million damages award against Dewberry firm
The United Supreme Court has invalidated lower court rulings that required a firm associated with Atlanta real estate developer John Dewberry to pay $43 million in damages to another firm that shares the same name.
The unanimous ruling was handed down on February 26 and sends the matter of the award back to the lower court. At issue is whether Dewberry’s assets held by other companies could be used to calculate damages that stem from a trademark violation.
Dewberry Engineering of Fairfax had not specifically listed those other Dewberry assets in a lawsuit against the Dewberry Group. A divided appeals court ruled they didn’t have to in order to factor in the total profits.
The U.S. Supreme Court disagreed.
“Under the pertinent statutory provision, the court could award only profits properly ascribable to the defendant itself,” reads the opening opinion authored by Justice Elena Kagan.
In all, Dewberry has around 30 companies that own various properties including the unfinished Landmark Hotel on Charlottesville’s hotel. Deerfield Square Associates bought the property at auction in August 2012 for $6.25 million. Since then property value has increased from $3,631,600 to $9,083,900.
“According to its tax returns, the Group has operated at a loss for decades; it survives only through occasional cash infusions from John Dewberry himself,” reads the opinion. “Meanwhile, the affiliates—which, recall, he also owns—have racked up tens of millions of dollars in profit.”
The opinion confirms that Dewberry Engineering’s trademark had been violated when John Dewberry reneged on a previous agreement between the two entities. However, the appeal was related solely to how the damages were calculated. The case is now remanded back to the lower court for another calculation of damages.
For more background, take a look at a story I wrote last summer.
Second shout-out: Dawn Porter to address Emily Couric Leadership Forum on April 10
On April 10, the Emily Couric Leadership Forum will award $250,000 in scholarships to area high school women in recognition of leadership excellence at its annual Luncheon at the Omni Resort in Charlottesville. They anticipate a sell out for this year’s luncheon.
This year’s speaker and recipient of the Forum’s Women’s Leadership Award is Dawn Porter, an award-winning documentary filmmaker known for her storytelling on social justice, history, and cultural icons. Her celebrated documentaries have aired on HBO, Netflix, CNN, and PBS. Many of her films elevate marginalized voices and illuminate U.S. history’s lesser-known stories.
If the event does sell out, there will be a wait-list and the event will be live-streamed!
To find out more, please visit the website at www.emilycouricleadershipforum.org!
Further details on Albemarle County’s proposed budget for FY26
There are six days until the Albemarle County Board of Supervisors will hold a public hearing on County Executive Jeffrey Richardson’s proposed budget for FY26.
There’s a story in yesterday’s newsletter, but today here are some more details. You can read all of it one place at Information Charlottesville.
There is funding to hire six additional police officers, the most to be added in one year since FY2016. Richardson said 13 officers have been hired since FY2021. A consultant has been hired to to study appropriate staffing levels, but that won’t be completed until the end of the calendar year.
“Investments in police will also continue efforts to modernize the department, making it easier to recruit and to provide better service in response to the community,” Richardson said.
Albemarle County relies on nonprofit groups to assist provide social services and this budget has $1.6 million that will go toward 26 of them. Details can be seen on page 81 of the budget.
“That $1.6 million does not go very far. But it is significant in this budget that we've been able to allocate funding in the recommended budget to increase the total amount by $385,000,” Richardson said.
Some highlights:
There is $38,700 for Loaves and Fishes, an food security organization that has previously not received direct funding.
The amount for PACEM has been increased from $710 in FY25 to $116,250 in FY26.
There’s $75,000 for Project Safe Neighborhood, a $25,000 increase from FY2025. Charlottesville City Council got a briefing in early February, as I reported at the time
The amount for ReadyKids increased from $77,187 to $194,391.
No funding is recommended for either Computers4Kids or Light House Studio.
The Albemarle Housing Improvement Program’s Septic to Sewer program will receive $350,000. From a story I wrote last September, this program was set up in FY23 when Albemarle Supervisors appropriated $1 million to assist property owners on failing septic systems in the urban area with connections to public sewer.
Albemarle will pay the City of Charlottesville’s Department of Human Services $60,000, up from $50,000 in the current year.
The United Way Childcare Scholarship Program will receive $211,000, an additional $50,000 from the current fiscal year.
Richardson also described the $35 million that goes to partner agencies who provide services. This includes the Albemarle Charlottesville Regional Jail which is soon to be renovated with some of the capital funds coming from the county.
“For the first time in 50 years, the county will share the debt service that goes to the renovations at that regional jail,” Richardson said.
The county’s payment to the Charlottesville-Albemarle Society Prevention of Cruelty to Animals will increase by 47.4 percent to $1,185,303.
This is the first budget to be unveiled after Albemarle County agreed to join Charlottesville in forming a regional transit authority.
The amount paid to the Central Shenandoah Planning District Commission for the Afton Express increases from $1,965 to $6,286.
While the amount paid to Charlottesville Area Transit remains flat at $1,859,184, there is a separate line item of $1 million for a contingency fund
Albemarle’s payment for the MicroCAT program increases from $441,887 to $1.3 million now that a state grant has expired
A contribution of $26,750 will be made to the Charlottesville Albemarle Regional Transit Authority.
The total amount of funding for affordable housing programs is $4.2 million. That includes $3 million in “one-time money” that would go to the county’s housing fund, plus another $1.2 million generated by a portion of the additional revenue to be generated by a real property tax rate increase.
“The county continues to invest in developer incentives and other initiatives to expand affordable housing options,” Richardson said. “Efforts focus on increasing the supply of affordable homes and rental units, supporting workforce housing and assisting residents in securing stable housing.”
Richardson there’s been a total of $17.7 million in funding from Albemarle for affordable housing from FY21 to FY24.
One item worth acknowledging is a transfer of $985,165 from the FY25 budget to the “economic development opportunity fund” but not until after the FY26 budget is adopted.
“It's about us having money on hand and available to deploy to make the right partnerships, the right investments to strengthen the economy and take advantage of the right opportunities as they come along,” Richardson said.
County employees will get a three percent cost pay increase and public safety officers will get an additional two percent. Richardson said the budget does eliminate about 12 positions.
Albemarle will continue to build up its own internal health care system for employees to try to bring down costs. One clinic is now open on Pantops and another is scheduled to open later this year.
“Investing in the clinic will help to control our health care costs,” Richardson said. “Nationally right now, health care inflation is a huge issue, but maybe even a bigger issue is access to health care.”
The capital improvement plan for FY26 is recommended at $58,770,320. The total for the five year CIP is $322,655,344. When Supervisors adopt the budget, only the first year of the CIP is appropriated but figures presented in the “out years” send a signal of what the county expects to do.
There’s an additional payment of just over $3.5 million for more work at Biscuit Run. There’s no additional funding in the out years.
Those interested in transportation projects should note the CIP includes a lump payment to something called the Transportation Leveraging Program. This is $9,843,035 for FY26.
There is $1.5 million for an urban pocket park.
A final payment of $7.5 million is included for the renovation and addition to Albemarle’s court facilities in downtown Charlottesville.
There’s a $40,000 capital payment to Loaves and Fishes.
The revenue-sharing payment to Charlottesville will cross the $20 million mark for the first time, up 13.6 percent from FY2025 to a total of $20,175,533.
Supervisors will have up to eight work sessions, but they had the opportunity to make comments after Richardson concluded his presentation.
Supervisor Ned Gallaway wanted to know why staff feels there is a need to hire the six police officers this year. He suggested finding a way to tie the additional resources to the strategic plan
“I think that's going to be helpful in a lot of different areas as we go through this budget, especially for community members who are asking, you know, anytime there's a tax increase that, you know, where's the money going?” Gallaway said.
Supervisor Ann Mallek noted a comment Richardson had made about seeking to diversify the county’s tax revenue by promoting economic development. But she added that if that brings in more people, the county’s spending needs will also increase.
“The unanswered part of that is the benefit to residential taxpayers only happens if we're able to control the expenditures,” Mallek said. “ In other words, we're not going to be able to reduce that burden. If we continue to go up with our expenditures and as population growth continues to happen and make everything cost more, that's going to be a big challenge going forward.”
Supervisor Michael Pruitt noted that the March 19 work session is the one where elected officials have to decide whether they want to have a higher real property tax rate. He urged members of the public who would like the Board to consider additional spending to make their views known as soon as possible.
“Realistically, people try and jump in during April, jump in during May, and realistically, we have very little wiggle room after we've advertised that tax rate,” Pruitt said.
Pruitt said he wants to support the provision of $10 million a year to the affordable housing trust as requested by a coalition of dozens of groups. Take a look at my report from earlier this month.
Supervisor Diantha McKeel pointed out that there is a structural reason why the county has been seeking to increase the number of professional firefighters.
“I think it's important for the community to remember that we have volunteer firefighters that are going away because they're aging out,” McKeel said.
Richardson said elected officials last year were shown demographic data on volunteers that showed many rural stations were staffed by people over the age of 65.
“We've been successful four times in a row in order to be able to pull federal dollars in $12.7 million over four [Federal Emergency Management Agency] SAFER grants to supplant the loss of volunteer services with 57 firefighters that have been spread through the county, both in urban and rural areas to help to better cover the gaps,” Richardson said.
Now those grants are expiring and if the county wants to keep the firefighter in place, Albemarle has to pick up the tab. For more of the backstory, take a look at a story I wrote in January 2024 when only three SAFER grants had been awarded.
McKeel also said she will want to have discussion about the potential impact a reduction in federal funding could affect transit. Richardson said the budget staff is closely monitoring the situation but overall federal funding makes up two percent of the county’s budget, or $9 million. He also noted that the county has a budget stabilization reserve that is currently just above that amount.
“That could be in a time where we pass the budget and then realize that we're going to lose money that could buy us time with that stabilisation money to not have such a dramatic effect until this board and staff figures out what we do long term.
One decision about Albemarle’s budgetary future could be up to Governor Glenn Youngkin and whether he will sign legislation to allow localiites to hold a referendum on a one-cent sales tax that would go entirely to school construction. SB1307 passed the Senate on a 27 to 12 vote and the House of Delegates on a 62 to 33 vote.
“That $0.01 for the county equates to $25 million a year,” Richardson said. “And that $25 million is captured off of a dedicated $0.01 sales tax that's captured from economic sales activity in this community.”
Youngkin vetoed last year’s version of the bill and issued a lengthy explanation why.
“The Commonwealth should pursue a tax policy that unleashes economic development and prioritizes job and wage growth through innovative reforms,” reads the statement. “These reforms must allow hardworking Virginians to keep more of their money, not less; any proposal that increases the cost of living and the cost of business is not a policy we should pursue.”
More on the budget as we come closer to the eight work sessions and multiple town hall meetings.
Reading material for #821
Bill supporting domestic bus manufacturing introduced, Liz Carey, Transportation Today, February 26, 2025
After delays, supervisors hear both school and county budget proposals, Heather Michon, Fluvanna Review, February 26, 2025
Federal judge blocks parts of Trump’s private-sector DEI order, Ryan Golden, ESG Dive, February 27, 2025
Rethinking the role of #821 in a modern society
Here’s another one! And I’m so ready to get on to the next one. Today’s edition began at 7 a.m. this morning when I started work on the second half of the Albemarle budget story. As I said in the copy above, I published that to Information Charlottesville earlier today.
I am making this all up as I go along. The business, I mean. I don’t make up the stories up. I aim to show my receipts for everything. I do my best to not use adverbs and adjectives to describe things, because my intent is never to tell you what should think about things. I do want to tell you things I find to be important and crucial for members of a society to know.
So, it’s on to the next one. Not right away. I need an hour or so off, even though I know there’s information that could use a write-up. There was a press release from the Governor’s office that came out about an executive order, so I’ll get to work on getting that written tomorrow.
It’s a living.
Today’s video is a song for a friend and I’m curious to see if they’ll notice: