Goochland County updates cash-proffer fees for new building permits

A permit that crosses July 1 could change what a Goochland homebuyer, builder or landowner pays before a certificate of occupancy is issued. The county says its FY27 cash-proffer amounts take effect on July 1, 2026, and the new table applies to lots subject to proffers when final inspections and payment happen on or after that date.

That timing matters because Goochland ties the fee to the fiscal year, not to when dirt work starts. If a cash proffer has already been paid and the owner is waiting for, or has already received, a certificate of occupancy, no additional payment is required. But if final inspections and payment happen before July 1, the FY26 amount applies; if the certificate of occupancy will not be issued until July 1 or later, the FY27 amount applies.

County officials say the annual adjustment is based on inflation from the prior fiscal year and is meant to keep the schedule aligned with changing economic conditions and infrastructure needs. The county also says cash proffers are due before a certificate of occupancy is granted, and that the money helps pay for roads, schools, public safety and recreational facilities. For families buying into new subdivisions and for existing residents watching traffic and school growth, the update is part of the larger question of whether new development is covering more of its own costs or leaving more pressure on the general tax base.

The county’s proffers webpage, which now includes financial data from July 1, 2019, through May 6, 2026, shows how that system has worked across multiple rezonings and subdivisions, including Bridgewater, Algernon Woods, Parkside Village and Readers Branch. Goochland says payment details are posted when invoices are paid or at least every three months, giving residents a public record of how the revenue moves through Planning and Zoning, Finance and the Treasurer’s office.

The policy behind the system dates to February 6, 2018, when the county updated its proffer policy. Goochland’s Capital Impacts Study, prepared by TischlerBise, said the county was becoming a destination for residential and commercial development and needed tools to evaluate growth impacts. The Board of Supervisors approved the FY27 budget on May 5, 2026, and it also takes effect July 1, placing the budget, the proffer adjustment and the new fiscal year on the same clock.

In a May 26 notice to permit holders, M. Jamie Sherry of Planning and Zoning laid out the cutoff rules and directed questions to Ramzi Farhat. County Administrator Dr. Jeremy Raley has said the county’s new dashboards and expanded proffers page are intended to build trust through transparency and accountability, and the FY27 update is now part of that record.