JAMES CITY COUNTY — County Administrator Scott Stevens released his Fiscal Year 2026 Proposed Budget for James City County on March 28.
The FY2026 Proposed Budget for the General Fund, the county’s primary operating fund, totals $262.7 million, a 2.9% increase over FY 2025.
The total budget for all funds is $389.5 million.
The FY2026 Proposed Budget can be viewed on the county’s website.
Capital Projects Fund, which includes significant projects such as construction of the new Government Center and library, public safety vehicle replacements and preschool space, totals $125.3 million. There is no tax rate change included in the FY 2026 Proposed Budget.
The county has a two-year budget process that allows the Board of Supervisors to adopt a budget for implementation on July 1 and provide a plan for the second year. The FY 2026 Proposed Budget is the second year of the biennial FY 2025-FY 2026 budget, and it allows for changes to be made to the plan for unforeseen developments.
The budget process for FY 2026 involved several key considerations, including providing exceptional services to the community, employee retention and recruitment, community appearance and investing in new capital improvement projects. These factors, in addition to the goals of the county’s Strategic Plan, helped to shape this proposed budget.
Highlights include:
- No tax rate change. The real estate tax rate is proposed to remain at 83 cents per $100 valuation. The personal property tax rate is recommended to remain at $4 per $100 valuation. FY 2025 was a reassessment year, and to phase in the tax burden related to the reassessment, the board provided taxpayers with a tax credit funded by a one-time use of fund balance. FY2026 is a non-reassessment year, and there is no tax credit proposed for this fiscal year.
- Fee increases for certain Parks & Recreation classes and the county’s ambulance transport services.
- Funding for continued investments in county staff retention and compensation. The FY 2026 Proposed Budget includes funding for an increase to each eligible employee’s salary of 3% at July 1. An additional $350,000 is set aside for a 1% raise as of Jan. 1, 2026, dependent on economic conditions and revenue forecasts at that time.
- A consolidated Government Center is proposed on Longhill Road next to the James City County Recreation Center. The Proposed Budget includes design and construction costs for this new facility of $65.5 million in FY 2026, and additional funding for the project of $62.0 million each year is planned for FY 2027 and FY 2028.
- A new branch of the Williamsburg Regional Library is proposed as an addition to the Government Center. The FY 2026 Proposed Budget includes $16.4 million for the construction of this library, which will help WRL in working toward state and national standards on recommended library square footage per citizen. An additional $16.4 million each year is planned for FY 2027 and FY 2028 for the project
- Stormwater infrastructure remains an important part of the county’s Capital Improvement Plan funding. In FY 2026, $2.6 million is dedicated to watershed management plan retrofits at Skimino, Ware, Powhatan, Yarmouth, and Diascund Creeks; a development of watershed plans for College and Skiffes Creeks; and other retrofits and maintenance projects.
- While the county and the City of Williamsburg renegotiate their joint school district contract, the county’s proposed contribution to Williamsburg-James City County Public Schools reflects an increase of $2.8 million over FY 2025. The percentage increase corresponds to the county’s General Fund FY 2026 revenue increase over FY 2025. Based on the prior contract’s funding formula, WJCC Schools request an additional $5.7 million from the county to support a proposed 3% salary increase for teachers and staff; 14 mandated positions; 48.85 non-mandated positions; healthcare costs; pay scale adjustments; and other personnel and program costs. WJCC Schools determine their expenditure priorities and how the funds received from localities will be spent. In addition, the funding formula used to calculate the county’s share of WJCC Schools’ costs is currently under review. Previously, the county’s contribution was determined by applying the county’s proportionate share of enrollment based on a three-year rolling average to the total local funding needs of WJCC Schools. The new funding formula under consideration is based on the current year’s enrollment and weighted funding for the following populations: English as a Second Language, Special Education, Preschool, and Gifted and Talented students. The proposed funding formula would adjust the contribution amounts for each locality for the differential in the State’s Local Composite Index between the county and the city.
The Board of Supervisors is expected to vote on the county’s FY 2026 Proposed Budget at their regular meeting at 5 p.m. on May 13.
Once adopted, the FY2026 budget will cover July 1, 2025-June 30, 2026.
Opportunities for public feedback:
- April 1 at 6 p.m. — Budget Community Meeting hosted by County Administrator Scott Stevens to present an overview of the FY 2026 Proposed Budget, followed by audience Q&A.
- April 8 at 5 p.m. — Public Hearing on the FY 2026 Proposed Budget during the Board of Supervisors regular meeting. Send input to board@jamescitycountyva.gov or call 757-253-6609 and leave a message.
Both of these events will take place at the James City County Government Center, 101 Mounts Bay Road, Building F and are open to the public. The meetings can also be viewed on Facebook, the website, YouTube and Cox Cable channel 88.
The Board of Supervisors will discuss the budget on April 22 at 1 p.m. during their business meeting (101 Mounts Bay Road, Building F). Although there are no opportunities for public comments during business meetings, the public is welcome to attend.
Budget adoption is scheduled for a vote by the Board of Supervisors May 13 during the 5 p.m. regular meeting. The meetings can also be viewed on Facebook, the website, YouTube and Cox Cable channel 88.
The FY2026 Proposed Budget can be viewed on the county’s website, jamescitycountyva.gov/budget.
