Goochland Board to hold public hearing on $171 million FY2027 budget

Goochland County supervisors are set to take the next step on a $170,997,815 FY2027 budget that would shape public safety, schools and major county projects for years to come. The key decision before the board on May 5 is whether to adopt the County Administrator’s proposed budget, as amended, along with the Goochland County School Board’s FY2027 proposal and the FY2027-FY2051 Capital Improvement Plan.

The public hearing gives residents a last formal chance to weigh in before the budget is adopted. County notices say anyone may attend and express opinions on the hearings, and the meeting is scheduled for 6 p.m. in Board Meeting Room 250 at the Goochland County Administration Building, 1800 Sandy Hook Rd. in Goochland. The county’s calendar lists the day as an afternoon regular meeting for budget adoption, with public hearings running from 3 p.m. to 9 p.m.

The stakes are highest for taxpayers, school families and anyone who depends on county services that come out of the general fund. Budget briefing materials show about $78.8 million in projected general fund revenue from general property taxes, or 73% of general-fund revenue. That means the budget’s direction is tied closely to land and home values, and to the tax rates already set by the board.

County officials held a public hearing on tax rates April 7, then adopted 2026 tax rates on April 14. The budget discussion also followed district and countywide town halls in March and April, where county officials said budget planning, tax rates and the capital plan were central issues for FY2027.

Budget materials say the proposed spending plan emphasizes public safety, education and other core services. If supervisors approve it Tuesday, funding for the proposed FY2027 School Public Education budget would be appropriated and folded into the adopted county budget. The county also plans to add the long-range capital improvement plan, which will steer investment decisions from FY2027 through FY2051.

Residents who want to follow the hearing can attend in person or watch through the county meetings portal. Once the board votes, the decisions will set the financial frame for Goochland’s schools, services and capital priorities heading into the next fiscal year.