WILLIAMSBURG – The City Council unanimously approved a $116.54 million fiscal 2027 budget during a special meeting Wednesday after trimming millions from the original proposal.
The initial proposed budget was $121.15 million, a nearly $18 million increase from the 2026 budget of $103.3 million. Through cuts to staff and capital improvement projects, the final budget was reduced to $116.54 million.
The budget keeps the real estate tax rate unchanged and includes a 7% water rate increase. Funds for the proposed library construction are also included, though council noted the project has not yet been approved and will require a separate vote before moving forward.
Vice Mayor Pat Dent said during the meeting that he was “disappointed” by public comments describing recent town halls as “lip service,” saying he believed they had produced “constructive dialogue.”
“There were accusations that [council] doesn’t understand fundamental budgeting, which is far from the truth,” Dent said. There was also accusations that in some way there has been financial fraud.In fact, the words were ‘cooking the books.”
Robert Wilson said at an April 6 City Council work session that the city had been “cooking the books” regarding the capital improvement budget since fiscal 2025. Wilson did not speak at the May 27 meeting.
During the meeting, Council Member Stacy Kern-Scheerer asked questions about the budget process for public clarification. City Attorney Christina Shelton explained the budget serves as the council’s general authorization to spend on approved items. Purchases over $100,000 require council approval, while smaller expenditures are handled administratively by staff.
The council also has the ability to amend the budget or reappropriate funds if it chooses not to move forward with a project. For example, officials said, if the library project does not move forward, the funds could be redirected.
“I just want to highlight that this isn’t the end of the road,” Kern-Scheerer said. “This is a critical step, but it’s not where somebody is going to put a shovel in the ground for the library.”
The meeting is available to stream online, though portions of the recording are incomplete. The city staff says there was a technical problem with the hardware, which prevented recording both video and audio for those few minutes. The budget presentation slideshow remains online.
The next city council meeting will be held June 11 at 2 p.m., with a work session June 8 at 4 p.m. Both meetings will take place at the Stryker Center, 412 N. Boundary St.
The story has been updated from a previous version.
