Board of Supervisors - 2026-04-28
Meeting Intelligence Preview
Meeting Summary
The Stafford County Board of Supervisors set the calendar year 2026 real estate tax rate at $0.9675 per $100 assessed value (4-3 vote), adopted the FY2027 budget, and approved $65 million in VPSA bond issuance for school projects including Drew Middle School and Hartwood schools. The board also unanimously referred comprehensive plan amendments to the Planning Commission that would designate segments 5 and 6 of the proposed Dominion Energy North Anna to Bristers 500kV transmission line project as underground transmission corridors.
Key Decisions (12)
Calendar Year 2026 Real Estate Tax Rate at $0.9675
Board set real estate tax rate at $0.9675 per $100 assessed value, including mobile homes rate. This rate includes funding for three new schools (Hartwood High School, Hartwood Elementary, Crow's Nest Elementary), salary increases for school staff, fire station construction in Aquia and Rock Hill, career staff additions at Potomac Hill and Widewater fire stations, and three additional School Resource Officers.
Solar Facility Tax Rate at $0.9675
Established separate solar facility tax rate at $0.9675 per $100 assessed value after board voted to reconsider and separate this rate from the general real estate tax rate vote.
Fire Levy Rate
Approved fire levy as advertised, which includes funding for Rock Hill fire station construction targeted for completion by 2027.
FY2027 VPSA Bond Issuance Authorization
Authorized $65 million Virginia Public School Authority bond issuance for FY2027 school projects including incremental financing for Drew Middle School, Hartwood schools, and 3R projects. When completely borrowed, this will increase debt service by approximately $5.2 million.
FY2027-2036 Capital Improvement Program
Approved 10-year capital improvement program (R26-50) with education as the primary driver and utilities comprising 27% of total CIP funding.
FY2027 Budget Adoption
Adopted FY2027 budget (R26-49 as revised) including $15 million to schools for opening three new schools and raises, $8.9 million for school debt service, $12 million increase in mandatory tax relief, 4% merit pay increases, fire crew for Potomac Fire Station, and $1.6 million health insurance increase. Budget also amends financial policies to allow infrastructure funding flexibility from 2.2% to 3.5% of expenditures with 3% annual target.
FY2027 Budget Appropriation
Appropriated the adopted FY2027 budget (R26-51 as revised) to fund county operations and services.
Water and Sewer User Fee Increases
Approved Ordinance 026-05 Option 2 increasing water and sewer user fees by 6% in FY27, 5.5% in FY28 and FY29. Also updates commercial rate structure and establishes reclaimed water fees for FY27-FY29. Reclaimed water fees apply only to data centers connecting to the system, not residential customers.
Water and Sewer Pro Rata Fee Amendments
Approved Ordinance 026-06 adjusting water and sewer pro rata fees and establishing new reclaimed water service pro rata fees for data center connections.
Reclaimed Water Service Availability Rate
Approved Ordinance 026-11 establishing new availability fee for reclaimed water service to allow county to recoup costs for the reuse water system. The $400 million reclaimed water system is being built by data centers (Old Potomac Church and Stack Infrastructure) under water services agreements, then transferred to county ownership for operation.
Comprehensive Plan Amendments for Power Line Routing Referred to Planning Commission
Referred proposed comprehensive plan amendments (R26-159) to Planning Commission concerning process and routing of proposed power lines. Amendments would designate segments 5 and 6 of Dominion Energy's North Anna to Bristers 500kV transmission line project as underground transmission corridors, finding overhead lines inconsistent with comprehensive plan due to extraordinary density of residential homes and schools.
Real Estate Tax Rate at $0.92
Motion to set real estate tax rate at $0.92 per $100 assessed value failed.
Development Activity (9)
Hartwood High School
New high school construction, part of three new schools opening. Funded through VPSA bond issuance.
Hartwood Elementary School
Replacement elementary school construction, part of three new schools opening.
Crow's Nest Elementary School
New elementary school construction, part of three new schools opening.
Drew Middle School
School project receiving incremental financing through VPSA bond issuance.
Aquia Fire Station
New fire station construction funded in FY2027 budget.
Rock Hill Fire Station
New fire station construction included in fire levy, targeted completion by 2027.
Reclaimed Water System
$400 million reclaimed water system for data center cooling. Data centers build capital infrastructure under water services agreements, then transfer ownership to county for operation. System treats wastewater discharge for non-potable cooling use.
North Anna to Bristers Transmission Line (Kraken Loop)
Proposed 500kV high voltage transmission line on 170-foot monopoles. County opposes overhead alignment through residential areas and schools. Dominion expected to submit project to SCC in Q3 2026.
Musselman Park and Carlos Community Center
Continuing design and construction funded in budget.
Market Signals (8)
Housing Demand
Commercial tax base grew 9% in the past year, slightly above the 8% national average, indicating healthy commercial development activity.
Housing Demand
Home assessments increased significantly over three assessment cycles: 51% for homes $0-299K, 45.75% for $300-499K, 44.41% for $500-699K, 46% for $700-999K, and 43.89% for $1M+.
Infrastructure
County population grew from 156,000 in 2020 to approximately 170,000-171,000 currently, adding over 14,000 new residents since the 2020 census, driving demand for schools, public safety, and infrastructure.
Infrastructure
Five major data center projects approved with 25% of purple reclaimed water pipe capacity consumed by two data center projects; completion timeline estimated at 10-15 years.
Sentiment
Multiple residents expressed concerns about property tax affordability, with speakers noting average taxpayer bills increased from $2,994 in 2021 to projected $4,764 - a $1,770 annual increase for homes under $500,000.
Sentiment
Significant community opposition to proposed Dominion 500kV transmission line with residents citing property value concerns, health impacts from EMF exposure, and environmental destruction of wooded lots.
Labor
Teacher retention challenges persist with Stafford County losing educators to Prince William and now Spotsylvania counties due to pay disparities; year-three teachers can now earn more in Spotsylvania.
Infrastructure
County has not built new schools for approximately 18 years and is now opening three simultaneously, creating $10 million in opening costs versus $2.6 million if phased.