Catie Ratliff

Ads for Virginia’s April 21 special election are everywhere, many rife with partisan language and intentional misrepresentations. Here’s what the proposed redistricting amendment actually says, the meaning of a vote in either direction, and how to cast your ballot. On the ballot, the amendment reads: “Question: Should the Constitution of Virginia be amended to allow […]

A March 13 bomb threat at the University of Virginia’s Shannon Library was determined to be a hoax. UVA issued the all clear less than three hours after evacuating Shannon and Clemons libraries. “University Police responded to an emailed bomb threat at Shannon Library on Friday, March 13. … No bomb was discovered during the […]

Work is underway on the Charlottesville city budget, with Council and leadership looking at a potential $0.02 increase to the real estate tax. The rate hike to $1 per $100 of assessed value would generate just under $2.5 million in new revenue, according to the city’s budget office. While city councilors expressed reluctance to increase […]

Caravan of Hope, a month-long multi-state tour providing pro bono LGBTQ+ legal services to communities in the southern and midwestern United States, made its first stop of 2026 in Charlottesville on March 2.  The initiative, led by Philadelphia-based lawyer Angela Giampolo, is “focused on protecting identity, family security, and long-term stability.” From blue major metro […]

The numbers are in: Albemarle County’s proposed FY27 budget totals $724,021,078—roughly $86 million more than FY26. The budget, presented by County Executive Jeff Richardson on February 25, was balanced with no tax rate increases. In the general fund, the largest expenditure category is education, with $218.3 million slated for transfer to Albemarle County Public Schools. […]

If you’ve ever signed up for campaign alerts or donated to a candidate, you’ve probably received a text, email, or letter asking for donations. Sometimes, those asks continue post-election. So what happens to that leftover money after an election, or after candidates end their campaigns? The answer: It depends on the office, and where you […]

In an ever-changing national political climate, it can be easy to miss the latest local goings-on. So rather than a look at what’s happening nationally, this week’s C-VILLE dives into the “state of the union” in Albemarle County, from money matters to flight paths. Assessments Per the county’s 2026 reassessment, property values are up across […]

Lost in revision CORRECTION 2/18/26: Language in the HB1263 substitute excludes all higher education employees from collective bargaining units through its definition of “state agencies.” The following article has been edited for accuracy. C-VILLE regrets the error.  The House of Delegates Appropriations committee quietly removed higher education employees from HB1263, its collective bargaining legislation, on […]

Renovation at the Albemarle-Charlottesville Regional Jail is underway, following the demolition of the 1974 portion of the facility earlier this month. After years of debate, the $49 million project was narrowly approved by City Council last June. While critics and supporters of the project largely agreed that the facilities needed an update, the price tag […]