CHARLOTTESVILLE, VA (CVILLE RIGHT NOW) – The Albemarle County Board of Supervisors will consider a ballot referendum to add a 1% sales tax raise to November’s ballot during Wednesday’s meeting, according to the published agenda, funds that would be used to pay for school capital improvement projects. The board is also scheduled to consider a proposal to create an employer-assisted housing program for county employees.
The biennial budget the Virginia General Assembly passed and Gov. Abigail Spanberger signed last month gave municipalities the option of asking voters to raise the sales tax rate to support projects including school renovations and new school construction. The funds can also be used to pay off existing debt from qualifying projects.
Deputy County Executive Ann Wall told Cville Right Now that the referendum decision, should the Board approve adding it to the ballot in November, will then head to circuit court. After the circuit court clerk publishes notice of the referendum three weeks prior to the election, the referendum would be added to the ballot and after being voted on, the Board would then decide to levy the tax.
The referendum in November that voters would weigh in on would suggest to the Board what final decision to make in levying or not levying the sales tax.
“Right now, the question in front of the board is whether or not to add the question to the ballot,” Wall said. “The referendum can suggest whether the board is able to move forward and make that final decision.”
Wall also noted that two human services items were on the agenda, with one being reviewing the 2026 Human Services Needs Assessment and the other a proposal for an employer-assisted housing program for Albemarle County employees.
“We do this every couple of years in Albemarle County where we review reports, we review existing data points about what the human services needs in the county are,” Wall said on the Human Services Needs Assessment. “What they have been in the past in 2023 were related around self-sufficiency, food insecurity, housing instability, homelessness and mental health but the board will… use that information as they prioritize funding decisions and future budgets.”
During its June 18 meeting, the Board had previously discussed a proposal for the employer-assisted housing program, designed to combat affordability issues for county employees.
The board has made some tweaks to that plan, including using $840,000 of the Affordable Housing Investment Fund to provide down payment assistance to county employees, provided those employees have a household income 80% below the area median income, as well as one-time rental assistance for those with household income 60% below area median income.
There have been two new provisions added to the ordinance since the last proposal.
First, data on barriers to implementation and program participation will be given to the board on an annual basis at a minimum.
Second, a team featuring representatives of the Office of Housing, the County’s Attorney’s Office, Human Resources, and Department of Finance & Budget will be formed to review applications for assistance.
“This is the final step of the process to adopt an ordinance,” Wall said, noting there will be a five-year pilot program for the AHIF.
Following the consideration of these two resolutions, there will be a public hearing about the county giving the Virginia Department of Transportation an easement to construct a continuous green-T intersection at Rio Road East and Belvedere Boulevard, adjacent to Charlottesville Area Technical Education Center. Afterward, there will be a public hearing on a proposed update to the County zoning code regarding its processes of issuing certificates of appropriateness, as well as defining the types and tightening the definition of such a certificate.
The meeting will begin at 1 p.m.
