The Page County Board of Supervisors ‘ March 17, 2026 regular meeting included the following agenda items and actions:
CALL TO ORDER
Supervisors Jeremy Baldwin (District 1), Allen Louderback (District 2), Ryan Cubbage (District 3), Jeff Vaughan (District 5) and Chairman Bucky Thomas (At-Large) were present. Supervisor Susan Kile (District 4) was not in attendance.
PRESENTATIONS, PROCLAMATIONS AND AWARDS
Presentation of the FY2027 Budget
Page County Administrator Amity Moler led a presentation on the proposed fiscal year 2027 budget.
She noted several key expenditure changes in the proposal, including:
A $1.1 million increase in an annual local match to the local school system to balance its personnel budget
A 2% cost of living adjustment for all departments ($168,778 county-funded, $91,386 state-funded)
An 18% increase in health insurance totaling $444,780; personnel changes totaling $432,581, including switching a part-time employee to a full-time community services aide, sheriff’s office staffing issues resulting in part-time and overtime expenses and two additional county-funded positions at the sheriff’s office; the final cycle of SRO grant opportunities that will likely increase the county’s cost by $106,143.
Increased landfill equipment repair costs totaling $100,000. Moler noted that reduced inmate housing costs are projected to save the county $200,000.
To offset real estate reassessments that took effect in January, the proposed FY2027 budget reflects lowering the real estate tax rate by 20 cents - from 73 cents to 53 cents per every $100 of assessed value.
The proposal also includes lowering the personal property tax rate by 60 cents - from $4.40 to $3.80 per every $100 of assessed value.
Moler noted that the current average personal property tax rate among surrounding counties is $3.70, while the average real estate tax rate is 57 cents.
The initial budget proposal reflects no changes to the county’s machinery and tools, motor carrier, mobile homes, aircraft or transient occupancy tax rates.
The county administrator touted tourism, noting that the industry generates more than $1 million annually for the tourism fund and nearly $3 million for the general fund, which provides funding for fire-EMS, the sheriff’s office, schools and more.
Without tourism, Moler said, the proposed real estate tax rate for the coming fiscal year would be 60 cents per every $100 of assessed value.
Moler reported that using savings and debt, the county since 2019 has eliminated landfill fees for residents, maintained or lowered tax rates and funded expenses including:
A total of $2.5 million in increased local funding to the local school system
$2.6 million (excluding ARPA funds) in major landfill equipment purchases between 2020 and 2025
$2.55 million in school-related capital projects between 2021 and 2026
A $1.1 million increase in annual costs associated with fire-EMS staff expansion and additional coverage between 2021 and 2025
$6.5 million for the construction of cell 11 at the Battle Creek Landfill in 2023
$6.3 million for an emergency radio communication system in 2023
$4.2 million (excluding ARPA funds) for the last-mile broadband project in 2025
$225,000 for a school facilities study in 2026
$618,404 for an overfill grading project at the Battle Creek Landfill in 2026
An estimated $1 million for ongoing work to establish fire-EMS offices and a training center.
Overall, the proposed $95.6 million budget reflects a 4% increase over the current fiscal year’s budget of about $92.15 million.
Public hearings on the proposed tax rates and county and school budgets are scheduled for 7 p.m. on Monday, April 20, at the Government Center in Luray.
Supervisors are scheduled to adopt the tax rates at that meeting before adopting the county and school budgets at the board’s meeting on May 4.
View the preliminary budget presentation and the budget work session schedule HERE.
Budget Changes
Supervisors reviewed allocation requests including a request to provide a 2% bonus to county-funded employees, since the state compensation board in June will provide a 2-percent bonus to state-funded employees in constitutional offices.
Supervisors unanimously approved appropriation requests totaling $264,359, including:
$91,386 in funding from the state compensation board to constitutional offices for bonuses and FICA taxes
$44,114 from the general fund balance and $5,074 in restricted transient occupancy tax revenue to various departments for employee bonuses and FICA taxes
$40,000 in state funds through a Virginia Tiered System of Supports Grant to the Page County School Board for efforts to improve literacy and provide support reading programs
$5,383 in state funds through a Vision Screening Grant to the Page County School Board for required vision screenings in various grades
$20,000 in state funds through a grant from the Page Alliance for Community Action to the crime prevention division of the Page County Sheriffs Office for overtime expenses
$6,508 in federal funds through a Community Emergency Response Team program grant to the Page County Sheriffs Office for CPR training
$40,894 in federal funds through a DMV grant to the patrol division of the Page County Sheriff’s Office for wages and supplies
$1,000 through a SpayVA grant to the Page County Animal Shelter for a spay and neuter clinic in cooperation with Cat’s Cradle
$10,000 from the recreation enterprise fund balance to the Page County Finance Department for engineering consultant services for the procurement of a design build for a recreation center.
The board additionally approved a budget transfer request totaling $100,000 in radio debt proceeds from the CIP fund to the general fund for employee bonuses.
Board and Commission Appointments
Supervisors voted unanimously to appoint Bernie Miller as the District 1 representative on the Page County Economic Development Authority through Jan. 31, 2030.
Resolution Opposing Mandatory Collective Bargaining
Supervisors unanimously approved a resolution opposing mandatory collective bargaining bills (HB 1263 / SB 378), as encouraged by the Virginia Association of Counties.
The state association is urging opposition to the bills, which if approved would “curtail local authority and create substantial local fiscal impact by imposing mandatory collective bargaining for local governments if a group of employees petition and vote to form a bargaining unit.”
CONSENT AGENDA
Supervisors unanimously approved the consent agenda as follows: financial reports for the period of Feb. 1 through Feb. 28, 2026; accounts payable checks, payroll checks, payroll direct deposits and payroll tax-related electronic fund transfers totaling $2,611,261.59 for February 2026; the meeting minutes of Feb. 2, 2026 and Feb. 17, 2026; and coyote claims to Jesse Dodson totaling $100.
NEW BUSINESS
Review of Sheriff’s Department Pay Study
Page County Sheriff Chad Cubbage presented a request to supervisors for a local compensation adjustment for sworn, full-time employees at the Page County Sheriff’s Office, highlighting proposed compensation options and peer comparison data including starting salaries at police departments and sheriff’s offices in the region and state.
Supervisors discussed topics including pay bands, contracts, current vacancies and animal control.
Sheriff Cubbage noted that the compensation request was not included in his fiscal year 2027 budget request for the sheriff’s office.
ADMINISTRATOR’S REPORT
Page County Administrator Amity Moler reported that a public hearing on the abandonment of a portion of State Route 736 originally scheduled for the board’s regular March meeting was rescheduled for 7 p.m. on Monday April 20.
The public hearing will consider a request by the Town of Luray to consider removing a segment of Route 736 from the county’s secondary roads inventory and turning over future maintenance and ownership to the town.
She reported that the economic development and tourism department was recognized last week by the Virginia Tourism Corp. with the 2025 Brochure of the Year Award for its Page Valley Inspiration Guide.
SUPERVISORS’ TIME
Supervisors thanked those in attendance and congratulated the Luray High School boys varsity basketball team for winning the VHSL Class 1 Championship and the Luray High School girls varsity basketball team for being named runner-up in the state championship. They thanked employees at the local sheriff’s office for their service.
ADJOURN
View minutes from previous meetings and agendas for upcoming meetings at the Page County, Virginia Agenda Center.