A host of Spotsylvania County residents spoke out at a public hearing on the Fiscal Year 2027 budget and tax rates Thursday at Courtland High School, requesting that the board of supervisors “hold the line” on real estate taxes.
Residents said they’re reeling from increases in utilities, gas prices, and other living expenses and cannot afford the 8-cent tax increase that the supervisors voted to advertise.
“We’re in the same mindset as you all,” Board of Supervisors Vice Chair Drew Mullins said. “We’ll do the absolute best we can to take care of our fellow citizens.”
The rate of 77 cents per $100 of assessed value is the same numerically as the current rate, representing an increase when factoring in reassessments. One speaker said that if the supervisors approve the advertised rate, they’ve “just made my retirement plans for me.” He said he won’t be able to continue living in Spotsylvania as a retiree despite being a county resident since 1985.
He wasn’t the only speaker concerned about the proposed tax hike, which is expected to be decided following a work session at the next board of supervisors meeting on April 7.
“You can only get so much out of the people before they give up and move,” said speaker Scott Phelps, who also represents the Lee Hill District on the county’s planning commission.
Dale Swanson, of the Rappahannock Conservative Women’s Coalition, noted that after doing the math, the advertised rate amounts to a 12.7% increase from FY26. After supervisors advertise a rate, it can be lowered when the final decision is made but not increased. Swanson asked the board to “hold the line” on the tax rate.
“The socialist mayor of New York City only proposes a 9.5% increase,” Swanson said. “Gentlemen, this is not New York City and do we do not have New York City wages to support this extreme tax increase.”
Swanson said if the rate was lowered to 75 cents per $100 of assessed value, the increase would still be “hefty.” She requested the equalized rate while reminding the supervisors to consider all residents, and not just county and school employees when finalizing the budget.
Several local agencies requested funding from the board in this year’s budget, including the disAbility Resource Center. Deputy Director Seth Whitten expressed concern to the supervisors that their proposed budget reduces the county’s contribution to the agency by 30%.
“We serve people with disabilities right here in Spotsylvania County and our focus is simple — it’s helping people live safely and independently in their homes and community and we’re doing that at scale,” Whitten said.
For those requesting no tax increase, Spotsylvania County Public Schools was the primary target. County resident Richard Szymanski decried high-paying administrative salaries and “nebulous social programs that overwhelm the strategic plan.”
“Higher education and academia is not the answer to everything,” Szymanski said.
County resident Jen Petersen lamented “declining test scores,” the school division’s recommendation not to drug test employees, and the division’s decision not to include the FBI’s Rap Back Service program to continually monitor employees who may have committed a crime, in the FY27 budget. Petersen also criticized school officials for allowing students to participate in anti-Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) protests on school grounds in February and permitting books she believes are sexually explicit in libraries.
“We’re hearing a lot about the school budget, but what exactly are we getting for that? Petersen said … “So, when considering the tax rate in relation to SCPS’ budget and how much you’re going to be asking families to fork over, ask yourself if declining test scores, easy solutions to student safety being discarded, social justice protests, and porn in the community is what people envision as far as education for their children.”
Szymanski and others did push for the supervisors to fund the three Career and Technical Education positions that Superintendent Clint Mitchell and his staff cut from the school board’s approved budget. School Board Chair Megan Jackson explained Thursday that the positions were cut before they were implemented.
“Nothing has been proposed to cut any existing CTE programs,” Jackson said.
Supporters of more funding for the school division noted that Mitchell and his staff requested to cut a special education (SPED) diagnostician from the approved budget to help close a $3.4 million funding gap. They asked the board of supervisors to consider funding the position.
One speaker noted that 13 SPED diagnosticians were in the proposed budget the past two years and none were approved. She said 5.5 SPED diagnosticians in the county currently manage 700 cases.
“It’s unsustainable,” she said.
Former school board member Dawn Shelley found fault with the board of supervisors for what she considers a disingenuous report of its transfer of funds to the schools. The supervisors report a transfer of $14.1 million in additional funds, but a portion of that is debt service, so the transfer in operational funds is $8.4 million. Shelley said other counties, including Stafford where she works, do not include debt service when reporting the transfer to schools.
“I do appreciate what you’re doing for the schools, but please fully fund the schools,” Shelley said … “The students deserve to have great teachers. It’s an investment.”
Lorita Daniels, who represents the Salem District on the school board, said she understands the frustration residents feel with increases in their cost of living. Daniels said it cost $73 to fill her vehicle with gas recently but requested the board not to decrease the advertised tax rate.
“We’re all feeling it,” Daniels said. “We understand we have to pay the price at some point … I get it. None of us want our taxes raised. But we must remember, as a collective community, we’ve got to move forward and advocate for the things that we need to move this community forward.”
