NEWS: York BOS Questions Funding New Williamsburg Regional Library
Supervisors also act to reduce housing evictions, create revitalization area
At a recent meeting, the York County Board of Supervisors discussed various aspects of the preliminary FY26-FY31 Capital Improvement Plan (CIP) presented by County Administrator, Mark Bellamy, Jr. Funding the “Williamsburg Regional Library” is one of the line items that appears in changes from the previous years CIP plan. While outlining recommended changes, the document refers to the potential new library in Williamsburg with the statement “replace with a North County Library Services project. No change to funding.”
The County currently has an agreement with Williamsburg and James City County to fund part of a regional library system. York residents are able to borrow from both the library in Williamsburg and in James City County. York County also runs two libraries of its own. Though the Supervisors were clear to note they don’t intend to leave the regional operations contract at this point, providing funding to build a new library outside York County is in question, as is any future regional library operations contract.
Vice Chairman and District 1 Supervisor, Douglas Holroyd commented on the issue of the existing agreement with neighboring jurisdictions. “I don’t want to get into a Williamsburg, JCC schools situation. There’s no reference to leaving the regional library contract?” he asked Bellamy. Holroyd was referring to the unsettled joint school contract between Williamsburg and James City County. The contract issue was initiated when the Williamsburg City Council voted to explore leaving the joint school system. The James City County Board of Supervisors responded by unilaterally deciding to let the existing contract expire without renewal. Eventually, Williamsburg leadership announced support for the joint school system. Bellamy confirmed that the current plan does not include changes to the County’s funding contribution to the regional library system.
Currently, the County accounts for the partnership’s funding through a library services fund called “Contractual Services” which also includes items such as software agreements and other service contracts. In FY25, the budget for contractual services accounted for almost 23% of the total library services budget ($957,845 vs $4,441,402).
Based on further comments by Holroyd, the issue of whether York County will fund capital improvements for the regional library system remains to be seen. “So we would lock capital in, but it could potentially be our own library, rather than the regional library,” he noted. “What we wanted to see was a negotiation take place in the future that protects us. We don’t want to see a third library added to JCC/Williamsburg, and suddenly we’re paying the operations cost of three libraries instead of two. That’s not fair.”
Holroyd acknowledged that another library is needed to serve the north end of the County, and the Williamsburg Regional Library could still be an option. But voiced additional concern about future contracts for the regional library system. “What can we do to satisfy ourselves that we’re getting a fair deal and not hook, line and sinkered into much bigger costs in the future?” he asked the rest of the Board and County Administrator.
Supervisor Thomas Shepperd, Jr. - District 5 commented, “I think this contract we’ve got with the library is kind of getting moldy.” He noted that the needs of people using libraries and the technology available, such as e-books, have changed significantly over time. “Let’s just have a deep look at what we’re doing and think about that. I think that could be a source of saving us money years out,” he said.
At that point, Bellamy, the County Administrator, noted that he had recently met with a representative from the Williamsburg Regional Library system. He said he expressed the County’s desire to remain a part of the system, but perhaps under better terms. Shepperd responded, “Just don’t jump out there like that. If I can get a better deal and we can save people money, I’ll be in there for you.”
Bellamy answered that the regional system understands the County’s expectation and is willing to work to find solutions. He also explained that any changes to the funding formula used to determine York County’s contribution would need to be voted on and approved by the Williamsburg City Council and James City County Board of Supervisors.
Holroyd finished the library discussion for the time being by joking with his fellow Board Members that “I don’t want to initiate a school type decision,” which was a sentiment that received vocal agreement from the rest of the Board.
Other Capital Improvement issues
During the meeting, Bellamy pointed out that the Board only votes to approve the first year of the plan, while the remaining years are for planning purposes. He also commented, “There are some assumptions there, for FY31, because it’s so far in advance. We have to make some assumptions about growth and taxable property, et cetera, and what the General Fund would look like. So there are some assumptions that are made there, but they’re very conservative.
County debt load
A chart presented by Bellamy indicated that the proposed CIP plan for FY26-FY31 would increase the County’s Debt Service Ratio from 7.36% currently, to a projected 9.22% in FY31.
The debt service ratio is a useful indicator of the County’s total debt load (and the cost to borrow the money) as well as the County’s ability to pay for it without sacrificing other parts of the budget. The County’s current limit for debt service is 10%, but during the meeting, the Supervisors discussed potentially raising that figure, pointing out that Williamsburg and James City County both have 12% limits.
Items removed from CIP
Bellamy noted that the County is expecting a smaller surplus in the CIP fund for FY25, which ultimately reduced the FY26 total by $2M. Other changes from FY25 to FY26 includes a $2.5M decrease in Dockmaster & Waterfront Operations, as the County no longer plans to build a second building and will move operations staff to the Post Office Building nearby. The plan also includes a cut in the planned York Hall construction costs from $5M to $3M.
Reducing Evictions, Affordable Housing Renovations
PERP Grant
In other news, the board agreed at the meeting to accept grant funds intended to reduce the number of evictions in the County. The funds, totaling $108K, come from an initiative called the “Peninsula Eviction Reduction Pilot Program (PERP). Though funded at the State level, the program is managed locally by the United Way of the Virginia Peninsula, who then distribute the funds to communities across the Peninsula. The funds will be used by the York County Housing and Neighborhood Revitalization department, and will also be used to support the City of Puquoson.
According to the agreement between the County and the local United Way chapter, the goal of the program is to “make evictions rare, brief, and humane.” In addition to rent related issues, the County indicated on their application for the grant money that they also might use the funds for utilities, moving expenses, car repairs to get to work, legal fees and workforce training & certification. The agreement specifies that York County will receive up to $9K per month to help people cover these types of expenses in order to stay in their home.
Affordable housing renovations
According to County documents, Yorktown Square Apartments an important source for affordable housing in the County. In order to help facilitate their renovation, the Board of Supervisors approved designating the property a "revitalization area.”
The apartments were last renovated in 2005, when the property was obtained by its current owners, Community Housing Partners (CHP). The organization’s website says it was founded in 1975 and “provides quality-built, responsibly managed, service-enriched homes for low-income individuals and families across the Southeast and Mid-Atlantic.” Those repairs were completed using Low-Income Housing Tax Credits (LIHTC), which give property owners a 9% federal tax credit. Now, the company intends to renovate the community again, using a mix of LIHTC and other grants to fund the $16.5M project. The process to receive funding from LIHTC is funding, and the new designation is thought to improve the company’s chances in the award process.
The renovations planned by CHP for the 56 apartments in the complex include new kitchens, bathrooms and high-efficiency HVAC systems. Site improvements will include repairs to parking lots, sidewalks and street lighting. After the renovations are completed, the company proposes setting aside all units for households at or below 50% of the area’s median income, estimated at $50,350 for a family of four in York County.
George Arbogust is Founder and Editor of the Williamsburg Independent. Consider buying him a cup of coffee.