The Page County Board of Supervisors ‘March 17, 2025’ regular meeting included the following agenda items and actions:
CALL TO ORDER
Allen Louderback (District 2), Ryan Cubbage (District 3), Susan Kile (District 4) and Jeff Vaughan (District 5) were present. Supervisor Keith Guzy (District 1) and Chairman Keith Weakley were absent.
PUBLIC HEARINGS
Special Use Permit – IBR Corp. Riding Stables/Academies
Supervisors conducted a public hearing on a special use permit request by IBR Corp. to operate riding stables and an academies facility at 2948 Oak Forest Lane in Luray on about 36.7 acres of land zoned agriculture. The hearing drew one speaker.
According to the permit application, the applicant is proposing to operate riding stables/academies at existing horse stables and two shelters, where they will offer horse training, trail riding, boarding and grooming.
Parking for the business will be located at the end of Oak Forest Lane. Supervisors voted unanimously to approve the SUP request as presented.
PRESENTATIONS, PROCLAMATIONS & AWARDS
FY2026 Proposed Budget Presentation
Page County Administrator Amity Moler led a presentation on the proposed fiscal year 2026 budget.
Noting new real estate value assessments set to go into effect in January 2026, Moler reported that real estate tax revenue collected at the current rate is projected to generate an additional $4.4 million annually. She noted that the first half of real estate revenue in FY2026 will be based on current, lower assessment values, since the new fiscal year begins July 1, 2025 — six months before new assessment values go into effect.
Moler told supervisors that to reduce an increase in bills caused by those higher values, the board may choose to lower calendar year 2026 tax rates, which the board will adopt next year.
In the coming fiscal year, transient occupancy tax revenue is projected to total $4 million, providing an additional $280,000 to the county’s general fund and $120,000 to the county’s tourism fund.
To increase efficiency and reduce billing confusion, the proposed budget reflects a switch to once-a-year billing for public service corporation taxes, beginning in calendar year 2026. The change is projected to delay collecting $300,000 in the second half of FY2026 to the first half of FY2027.
Expenditure changes include personnel changes totaling $304,892, including restructured fire-EMS positions to manage a state-mandated drug program and improve employee attraction; mid-year raises for academy graduations and retention purposes at the Page County Sheriff’s Office; a mid-year raise to the sheriff for animal control services; raises for certifications and an additional employee in planning and community development; and a deputy registrar that became full-time in FY2025.
The preliminary budget reflects a 3% cost of living adjustment for all county staff and an additional 3% for ECC ($276,097 funded by the county and $134,683 funded by the state).
Also reflected in the proposed budget is a 1.5% bonus for all departments ($142,651 funded by the county and $58,585 funded by the state); a health insurance increase of 5.3% totaling $132,239; a contractual services increase at the Page County Sheriff’s Office totaling $170,240 for IT services, tasers, body-worn cameras and drones; ECC budget increases related to the county’s new radio system totaling $154,955; a landfill equipment repair cost increase of $80,000 and increased costs of CSA cases totaling $183,742.
Moler reported that using savings and debt, the county has been able to fund recent expenses while eliminating landfill fees for residents and maintaining the same tax rates or lowering tax rates.
Expenses paid by the county without raising taxes include increasing the county’s annual allocation to the local school system by more than $2.4 million since FY2019; a courthouse restoration in 2020 totaling $292,900; major landfill equipment purchases between 2020 and 2024 totaling more than $2 million (excluding ARPA funds); various school-related capital projects between 2021 and 2024 totaling more than $2.4 million; fire-EMS staff expansions and additional coverage costs between 2021 and 2025 totaling $594,159 (excluding ARPA funds); fire-EMS building, renovations and ambulance costs between 2022 and 2025 totaling $668,612 (excluding grant funds); the construction of Cell 11 at the Battle Creek Landfill in 2023, totaling more than $6.5 million; a new emergency radio communication system in 2023 totaling more than $6.2 million; and the county’s last-mile broadband project in 2025 totaling nearly $4.2 million (excluding ARPA funds).
The proposed FY2026 budget reflects maintaining a real estate tax rate of 73 cents per every $100 of assessed value and a personal property tax rate of $4.40 per every $100 for calendar year 2025 (to be adopted in April 2025 and affect the second half of FY2025 and first half of FY2026). Moler reported that for planning purposes the upcoming budget reflects a real estate tax rate of 68 cents per every $100 of assessed value and a personal property tax rate of $4.30 per every $100 of assessed value for calendar year 2026 (to be adopted in April 2026 and affect the second half of FY2026 and the first half of FY2027). The initial budget proposal reflects no changes to the county’s machinery and tools, motor carrier, mobile homes or aircraft tax rates for calendar years 2025 or 2026. View the preliminary budget presentation and the budget work session schedule at www.pagecounty.virginia.gov/168/Finance-Department.
ACTION MATTERS
Budget Changes Supervisors unanimously approved allocation requests totaling $111,790, including $4,950 in restricted transient occupancy tax revenue to the Page County Economic Development and Tourism Department for a one-page ad in Blue Ridge Country magazine; $100 reflecting a civil penalty to the Page County General Registrar for the electoral board’s part-time budget; $2,000 in ambulance fee revenue earmarked for training for volunteer firefighters and EMTs to Page County Fire-EMS for training;$39,740 from the general fund balance to Page County Fire-EMS for Four-for-Life payments to volunteer rescue squads; and $65,000 from the general fund balance to the Page County School Board to refinish gym floors at Luray and Page County high schools, with an understanding that equal funding will be subtracted from the school system’s fiscal year 2026 operating budget or CIP.
CONSENT AGENDA
Supervisors unanimously approved the consent agenda as follows: financial reports for the period of Feb. 1 through Feb. 28, 2025; accounts payable checks, payroll checks, payroll direct deposits and payroll tax-related electronic fund transfers totaling $2,830,825.73 for February 2025; and the meeting minutes of Feb. 3, 2025 and Feb. 18, 2025.
ADMINISTRATOR’S REPORT
Page County Administrator Amity Moler reported that Page County Admin Assistant Tessy Marston, who serves as the county’s spongy moth coordinator, recently secured grant funding for local efforts to combat spongy moth, and that Page County Grant and Finance Specialist Amanda Seal, in coordination with the local school system, recently secured grant funding through the Virginia Department of Criminal Justice Services to bolster school security.
Moler reported that an RFP for work at the Stanley Plaza to expand Page County Fire-EMS received responses from seven contractors.
Moler reported that she recently met from VDOT officials to discuss plans for state-funded improvements at the intersection of Route 211/340 and Big Oak Road, just west of Luray near the Food Lion shopping center, that have been in the works for more than two years. The project is being advertised this week.
CLOSED SESSION
Supervisors entered closed session for consultation with legal counsel regarding specific legal matters pertaining to a land use matter, pursuant to Section 2.2-3711(A)(8) of the Code of Virginia.
EXIT CLOSED SESSION / CERTIFICATION OF CLOSED SESSION
Supervisors exited and unanimously certified the closed session.
ADJOURN