The budget for fiscal year 2025 was approved by the Board of Supervisors on April 4, 2024. Some of the highlights of the budget, which runs from July 1, 2024 until June 30, 2025, include:

• A real estate tax rate of 56¢

• A general fund of $87,759,483

• Increases in funding for education, public safety, and capital

• Uses just 16% of the general fund for general government services, which includes every department that doesn't fit into health and human services or public safety.

The Board of Supervisors held separate public hearings for the Proposed Real Estate Tax Increase, the Proposed Schools Budget and the Proposed County Budget on March 28, 2024.

County Administrator Stuart Turille and Finance Director Kim Van Der Hyde presented the proposed budget for fiscal year 2025 during the March 12 Special Called Meeting. The budget initially included a proposed real estate tax rate of 59¢ per $100 of assessed value, but that was lowered to 56¢ by the Board of Supervisors following the public hearing.

The total adopted FY 25 budget for Pittsylvania County is $238,986, 887, which is $6,070,466 more than the FY 2024 budget. Most of this increase is the result of the addition of the 1% Sales Tax Revenue for Schools and increased local funding for Schools and much needed capital improvements for County facilities.

County leadership had 12 priorities for this budget:

• Provide more funding for Public Safety to have a safer community

• Develop the economy to provide good paying jobs and create wealth in the community

• Adjusting for the reassessment increase with a lower tax rate that still provides for current and future services

• Continue our solid financial position by maintaining a strong fund balance

• Provide local school funding to maintain academic excellence

• Keep pace with inflation in operational costs

• Fund immediate and long-term capital needs

• Stay on track with new jail project timeline

• Fund vital County positions

• Provide adequate employee compensation

• Maintain new 1% School Sales Tax Fund

• Protect our historical agricultural roots while capturing future progress and success

Fiscal 2025 Budget Public Notices and Documents

Public meeting notice for March 28 public hearings

Notice of public hearing for proposed school budget

Notice of public hearing for proposed county budget

Notice of proposed real property tax increase

You can view the budget letter, and you can view the presentation that was shared during the March 12 Special Called meeting or watch the meeting on the County's YouTube Channel and Facebook page. 

You can also view the County's FY 25 Summary Budget and the Pittsylvania County Schools FY 24 Summary Budget.

General Fund Expenditures 

Approximately 60% of the County's General Fund is allocated for two categories: justice and public safety (32%), and education (28%). The remaining categories are general government (16%), debt service (10%), human and health services (10%), and non-departmental (5%). With increases in education and public safety funding, this breakdown is mostly similar to the FY 2024 budget. 

Under the proposed budget, Pittsylvania County's local contribution to Pittsylvania County Schools will be $24.6 million; an 11.5% increase from FY 2023.

The General Fund includes $8.4 million in obligated debt payments, which are primarily for the middle and high school bonds from the mid-2000s. It is the County’s intention to maintain this level of debt service to cover future debt obligations for the County. As such, a project fund will be established in FY2025 to house any excess funds currently not needed to cover debt payments to be used for future projects until these budgeted funds are needed for future debt service.  (Any financing payments related to solid waste, which are covered with revenue from contracts, would be included under the Solid Waste Enterprise fund.)

Recruitment and retention of quality employees continues to be a problem for the County. As such, this budget proposes a 3% Cost of Living (COLA) increase for all County employees who follow the County’s Personnel Plan as well as employees of our five Constitutional Officers. 

General Fund Revenues 
In terms of revenues for the General Fund, approximately 41% of the County's revenue comes from real estate tax; 20% comes from State funds; another 15% comes from personal property taxes, and 21% comes from other local taxes and fees. The remaining 3% of the County's General Fund revenues come from Merchant's Capital/Machinery and Tools. 

This budget includes an increase in the real estate tax rate. The proposed rates for FY 25 are as follows: 

• Real Estate: 56¢ per every $100 in assessed value
• Mobile homes: 56¢ per every $100 in assessed value
• Machinery & Tools: $4.50 per $100 of assessed value at 10% of original cost
• Merchant Tax: $2.75 per $100
• Personal Property Tax: $9.00 per $100 of assessed value, 30% of market value.

The Pittsylvania County Board of Supervisors voted at their March 2022 meeting to invalidate the County’s reassessment and as such, Pearson’s Appraisal began work in July 2022 to perform another general reassessment. The General Reassessment of County property was completed and submitted to the Commissioner of Revenue on January 1, 2024. The reassessed figures reflected, on average, a 48% increase in value to single family homes. The Code of Virginia requires that tax rates be reviewed after a general reassessment to equalize the tax rate so that tax revenues do not equal greater than 101% of the revenues from the prior fiscal year. When the County’s real estate tax revenues were compared with potential real estate tax revenues generated by the higher property values, the tax rate would need to roll back to 45¢ to equalize the revenues. The current budgetary needs for FY2025 required this rate be adjusted to 59¢ to meet this current budget and allow for the future needs of the County.