Chesterfield approves $2.4 billion budget for 2026 fiscal year

Apr 10, 2025 - 02:25

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Chesterfield approves $2.4 billion budget for 2026 fiscal year

CHESTERFIELD COUNTY, Va. (WRIC) -- The Chesterfield County Board of Supervisors approved an over $2 billion budget plan for the next fiscal year, finalizing the roadmap for the county's spending going into 2026.

During a meeting on Wednesday, April 9, the board adopted the budget proposal for the 2026 fiscal year, as well as its fiscal year 2026-2030 capital improvement plan.

The total value of this budget is about $2.4 billion -- a $336 million (18%) increase over the 2025 fiscal year. The county noted that the majority of this increase will not be funded by taxes. Instead, it comes from "state and federal funding, grants and user fees."

PREVIOUS: Chesterfield County presents budget for fiscal year 2026

A large portion of the budget -- over 41% -- will go towards Chesterfield County Public Schools. Just under 24% will go towards the general fund and 19.2% will go to utilities. All other areas of the budget each account for less than 5% each of the total funding.

Some highlights from the budget are as follows:

3% raise for Chesterfield teachers and other school staff
2.5% merit increase for Chesterfield government employees
$360,000 for Telehealth programs for students
$2.9 million towards special education initiatives
$4 million for English Language Learner programs
$5 million tax relief program for seniors and veterans

A few notable projects included in the capital improvement plan include:

$450,000 in cybersecurity enhancements for county systems
$9.8 million (over three years) for high school stadium and tennis court modernization, including:
- Replacing outdated stadium fields with turf at Meadowbrook and James River high schools
- Renovating tennis courts at James River, Thomas Dale and Matoaca high schools
$20.4 million for HVAC system replacements at facilities like the Juvenile Detention Home, courts and others
$27.2 million for electrical repairs, security system enhancements and roof replacements
$63.4 million in road and infrastructure projects, including major ones like:
- Turner Road/Jessup Road Roundabout
- Dundas Road Bike & Pedestrian Enhancements
- Center Pointe Parkway Extension
$1.66 billion (over 10 years) to invest in water infrastructure improvements, including:
- $21.2 million for a floodwall for the Addison-Evans Water Treatment Plant
- $150 million to expand the Proctors Creek Wastewater Treatment Plant
- $426 million for phase 1 of the Appomatox River Water Treatment Plant