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 […]
The University of Virginia tends to keep its plans close to the vest, but sometimes keen observers can get a glimpse of its future by poring through property sales. On May 31, 2024, an entity connected to UVA’s real estate foundation paid the University of Virginia Credit Union $10.5 million for three properties on Arlington […]
The Albemarle county board of Supervisors had been expected to approve $3.5 million in funding for affordable housing projects at its meeting on March 4, but held off due to concerns over how staff generated recommendations of what to fund. “I think it would be prudent to hold these materials and do a little bit […]
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 […]
Election season has come early to Virginia, with voting now open for the April 21 referendum on the state’s proposed plan for mid-decade redistricting. Nationally, President Donald Trump and Republican leaders are pushing for what they call stricter election security measures as this fall’s midterm elections approach. Amid all the ballot-box buzz, how safe is […]
Upping the ante It’s spending season in Charlottesville, and City Manager Sam Sanders presented the draft FY27 budget—totaling more than $327 million between the general fund and capital improvement projects—to City Council on March 2. If adopted as proposed, the city’s real estate tax rate would increase by $0.02 to $1 per $100 of assessed […]
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. […]
Teacher arrested Albemarle County police arrested Nicholas J. Clark, a fifth grade teacher at Woodbrook Elementary School, for child pornography on Monday, March 2, following a cyber tip. The Charlottesville resident, 29, was charged with two felonies: possessing child pornography and distributing child pornography. “We know this news is deeply concerning,” said Woodbrook Principal Christie […]
Many public hearings for land use changes in Albemarle County are well-attended by nearby residents concerned about the impact of new development on their properties. Already in 2026, decisions on two rezoning requests have been deferred after the planning commission was persuaded by arguments from neighbors. On February 24, there was no opposition to a […]
There have been very few renovations at Westhaven since the Charlottesville Redevelopment and Housing Authority constructed 126 apartments in 1964 as a replacement for homes razed in Vinegar Hill. Decades later, funding and planning for a new era is moving forward. CRHA Executive Director John Sales told City Council on February 18 that design work […]