NEWS: Higher Wages Considered for York County Employees
BOS discusses raising taxes on real estate and personal property at meeting tonight
At their scheduled meeting tonight, the York County Board of Supervisors will discuss raising both the County’s real estate and personal property taxes as part of planning for the Fiscal Year 2026 budget. The Board will review a proposed ordinance which raises real estate tax by 6 cents, to $.80 per $100 of assessed value. Both of the proposed budgets of James City County and Williamsburg keep their property tax rate steady at $.62/$100 assessed value for Williamsburg and $.83/$100 in James City. A vote on the proposed budget, as well as change in tax rates, will be voted on by the York County Board of Supervisors on May 6, 2025.
The 6 cent increase is 2 cents more than initially requested by County Administrator, Mark Bellamy. The larger increase sets General Fund expenditures for FY2026 total $200M, an increase of $11M, or 5.9% higher than in FY25. The County’s revenue sources come from local, state and federal sources, though the General Fund – which funds things like schools, public safety and other County operations – is primarily supported by local taxes. In FY25, property taxes accounted for 62% of the General Fund, while other taxes made up 22%. According to the County, the increased property tax levy comes after the average real estate assessment went up by 21.75% in the calendar year 2024. They note that other local jurisdictions have seen similar increases.
York County residents are encouraged to share thoughts about the proposed FY26 budget at the Board’s meeting tonight at 6:00 p.m. in the Board Room of York Hall, located at 301 Main Street, Yorktown. Residents can also email their input to the Board of Supervisors at bos@yorkcounty.gov or complete an online comment form. More information about York County’s finances can be found on their “Financial Transparency Portal” which contains interactive data related to past budgets.
Higher pay for County workforce
The York County administration has stated that much of the additional revenue will be used to fund a 4% County-wide pay increase, plus a one-time payment of $500. The higher wages are expected to cost $2.5M. According to one of their budget documents, the FY2026 Proposed Budget reflects the results of a compensation study implemented in October 2024 meant to keep the County’s pay competitive with other local jurisdictions. “I know there's been some questions about the 4% and $500 but based on what you're seeing now I think we've made a good case that that's probably the minimum we ought to be considering,” said Bellamy, at a Board budget meeting on April 8, 2025.
In a recent compensation and benefits overview, the County details how the pay increases will affect a range of employees in the workforce. For example, an employee making $35K would see a total increase of $1900, or a percentage increase of 5.43%. An employed making $95K would see an increase of 4.53%. A recent staffing study commissioned by the County indicated that pay increases for municipal workers across the region has been around 3%, though the study indicated that York lags behind in total compensation when compared to other local jurisdictions.
The compensation and benefit report noted that the pay increase was meant to offset an increase in the employee contribution for healthcare benefits – which will see an 8% premium increase – while attempting to keep up with inflation. “When you look at what health insurance cost looks like, the medical trend right now for the public sector is ranging from 10 to 15%, so our 8% is under medical trend, and it's less than it was last year,” commented Rose McKinney, York County Director of Human Resources, while addressing the Board. Conversations among Board Members have indicated that in addition to the current proposed pay plan, another analysis may need to be conducted at a later date to ensure the County stays competitive with other local jurisdictions.
Higher public safety costs
The County also expects to spend more on the County’s public safety, increasing the budget to $59M, an increase of $4.4M, or 8%. The proposed budget for public safety includes adding 7 total new positions in the Sheriff’s office over the next year. Two employees must be hired by the fire department to manage a state-mandated pharmacy program. Additional costs include vehicle maintenance and supplies. For example, the County notes that the cost for patrol vehicles rose by 76% over the past three years. Other needed items like gear and Airgas rose by over 10%.
Additional County fees
Under the proposed tax plan, taxes on tangible personal property would be raised by $.20, totaling $4 per $100 of assessed value. This tax applies to primary vehicles, machinery and other equipment, for example.
Other fees would also increase, such as those for building permits, inspections, archaeological studies and applications for special use permits, rezoning and variances. Fees associated with curbside garbage and recycling pick-up will also rise. These include:
Building Regulations
$5 technology fee on all building permits
$90 re-inspection fee for the third and subsequent inspections
Subdivisions
Fee structure changes from lump sum to per lot and acreage, with increases
New "resubmittal fee" for the third and subsequent submissions
New "plan amendment fee" of $130
Archaeological study deposit increase from $1,500 to $3,500
Zoning
Increased fees for Special Use Permits (base to $750), rezoning, and variances
Zoning verification letter fee increase from $60 to $100
Increased fees for re-advertisement and re-notification
Adjusted total site plan fee, with increases for smaller sites and per square foot for larger
New "resubmittal fee" for the third and subsequent submissions of subdivision development plans/plats
Archaeological site plan review fee (from Subdivision Ordinance) also applies
Community support funding
The proposed FY26 budget includes funding recommendations for various regional and community support organizations. These include:
Avalon Center for Women and Children: $4,665
Colonial Behavioral Health: $1,249,000
Colonial Soil & Water: $5,000
Lackey Free Clinic: $60,000
Peninsula Alcohol Safety Action Program (PASAP): $25,000
Peninsula Community Foundation: $5,000
Peninsula Emergency Medical Services (PEMS): $11,490
Peninsula Health District: $407,800
The Arc of Greater Williamsburg: $3,000
Transitions Family Violence Center: $6,700
Virginia Peninsula Food Bank: $5,000
Virginia Peninsula Mayors & Chairs on Homelessness: $14,455
Williamsburg Area Medical Assist Corp (Olde Towne): $123,865
Williamsburg Meals on Wheels: $3,000
York County Arts Commission: $75,000
York County Meals on Wheels: $5,550
Yorktown Arts Foundation/On the Hill Gallery: $19,500
(Updated 4-15-25: grammar and spelling mistakes.)
George Arbogust is Founder and Editor of the Williamsburg Independent. He gets up early, so please consider buying him a cup of coffee.
Editor’s Note: A Google AI tool called NotebookLM was used to help compile information and calculate data presented in this article.