The Pittsylvania County Board of Supervisors is considering a Fiscal 2026 budget that prioritizes support for the County’s school division, Sheriff’s Office, Public Safety and volunteer agencies and Community Development without imposing a real estate tax increase.
Interim County Administrator Vincent Shorter presented his recommended Fiscal 2026 budget to the Board during the Finance Committee meeting April 15, 2025.
To support the school division, the proposed Fiscal 2026 budget calls for 4.5% above the minimum required local effort, or $1,135,574. The total amount of local funding for the schools for Fiscal 2026 is $26,370,554, an increase of 7% – $1.7 million – over Fiscal 2025.
The recommended Fiscal 2026 budget provides for a $1.2 million increase for the Sheriff’s Office in continued support of School Resource Officers and the new vehicle replacement program. Carryover funds from Fiscal 2025 will be used to purchase tactical police equipment at a cost of about $264,000.
Public Safety, E911 and the County’s volunteer fire and rescue agencies are recommended to receive an additional $905,000, an 11% increase over Fiscal 2025. This budget also includes $3.3M for a CAD system replacement and radio system/tower upgrade. The County hopes to finance these projects through the Virginia Resources Authority.
As Pittsylvania County continues to experience increased growth and economic development, the proposed Fiscal 2026 budget calls for an additional $108,000 for Community Development to meet anticipated staffing and equipment needs.
The budget also provides funding to address the County’s Comprehensive Plan, which hasn’t been updated since 2010. The budget sets aside $300,500 for this update and grants will be pursued to defray the cost.
“The Board clearly outlined its priorities for Fiscal 2026, with an emphasis on supporting our schools, public safety and community development, and County staff met those expectations with a balanced budget and no tax increases for the upcoming year. This budget is also forward-thinking, addressing the promise of continued economic development with additional staffing and resources to make future growth as seamless as possible. County staff worked diligently to meet the Board’s priorities, and at the same time, maintain the core services that our citizens rely on and expect while keeping their tax liability low,” Shorter said.
The Board approved the real estate tax rate at $.56 per $100 in value at its February 18, 2025, meeting, representing no change from Fiscal 2025.
Overall, the Fiscal 2026 budget represents an increase of $18,587,879 over the previous year’s budget, for a total of $257,574,766. This change stems from a $10.4 million increase in the Schools budget, for a total Schools’ operating fund of $132,471,056.
For more on the proposed budget click here