Williamsburg-James City County school parents got a look this week at some proposed maps to redistrict school attendance zones -- a task one of the schools’ consultants described as one of the more difficult jobs they’ve undertaken.

“We understand there is an emotional connection to your schools,” Marci Horner, a member of the MGT consulting team, told parents at one of the informational meetings Wednesday at Berkeley Middle School. “There was a lot of hard, intentional work that went into this.”

The schools are preparing to redistrict school attendance zones next year as they open two new Bright Beginnings preschool facilities in fall of 2027. The school system held three informational meetings this week with a team from MGT, the firm WJCC Schools hired to guide them through the redistricting process. You can view drafts of proposed attendance zones here.

School officials have been pushing to get the word out after a survey of stakeholders showed less than half of local residents said they were aware of the project.

The opening of the two Bright Beginnings locations -- one on the campus of Clara Byrd Baker Elementary School and the other at Norge Elementary School -- will free up classroom space at five elementary schools currently housing the program. While the opening of the two Bright Beginnings facilities will impact the elementary schools, the division is redistricting attendance at all grade levels to provide for better utilization of schools across the board, said Dr. Daniel Keever, W-JCC Schools superintendent.

Lance Richards of MGT said the W-JCC Schools division was one of the more difficult projects the firm has worked on, due to capacity issues, geographic locations, and the fact that “your feeder patterns are unique.”

Richards explained that part of the process involved student forecasts based on birth rate, geographic mobility and student yield --the number of students predicted based on new housing developments.

Four of the division’s elementary schools---D.J. Montague, James River, Matthew Whaley, and Stonehouse---are near or above capacity.

There are 27 active housing development projects that will likely impact eight of the elementary schools, with 64% of the new housing units zoned for Stonehouse elementary school.

Richards said the optimal capacity should be around 85% for each school. If nothing changes with the current zoning, “there will be a lot of empty seats and there are costs to that,” he added.

MGT used a number of guiding principles to draw the new zoning maps in addition to space utilization, including feeder patterns; transportation; minimizing impact on students and their families; demographics, and keeping neighborhood schools as much as possible.

Horner, another member of the MGT team, noted in presenting the maps that the firm tried its best to eliminate island zones — a geographically separated pocket of students assigned to a school that is not contiguous with the school’s main attendance boundary — as well as non-contiguous boundaries, while better aligning feeder patterns.

Community members should see a final map by October, and can comment on the drafts and the process at the school website.

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Public speakers demand lower spending growth; City Council hires $575,000 consultant

More Williamsburg residents turned out Thursday during the City Council meeting to express concerns over the growing city budget, but the council voted unanimously to hire a $575,000 consultant for its comprehensive plan.

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Tax exemptions for disabled military veterans have begun adding up in our area.

York County, which has a large number of military residents, has seen the value of its property tax exemptions grow from $5.1 million in 2024 to a projected $8.1 million in 2026, according to a county spokesperson.

James City County’s exemptions have grown from $4.7 million to $6 million in foregone taxes this year, Chair John J. McGlennon noted in a recent budget discussion.

The taxes are a fraction of the proposed $413 million budget for James City County, or the $317 million budget approved in York. But they significantly offset the $3.4 million James City County expects to receive if it increases its meals tax next year.

In 2010, Virginia voters approved a constitutional amendment to exempt from local real estate taxes the primary residence of a veteran deemed totally disabled by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs as a result of their military service. Their widows were allowed to continue the exemption if they did not remarry.

In 2014, voters approved another amendment extending the exemption to widows of soldiers killed in action, and four years later said they could keep the tax exemption if they move to another home. In 2020, 100% disabled veterans won the right to exempt one vehicle from personal property taxes.

Last year the exemption was expanded further to cover military widows whose spouses died in the line of duty, which includes a broader range of incidents from the original killed in action definition.

“We want to recognize the (veterans’) service,” McGlennon said. But he added he wished the amendments setting up their exemptions provided for some type of means testing rather than a blanket exemption.

The lack of any criteria “has always bothered me,” said Jamestown Member Jim Icenhour, who is an Air Force veteran. Icenhour said the lack of means testing means he would be eligible if he became 100% disabled, even though he has the assets to pay his taxes.

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York Schools show improvement in student behavior — but kindergarten needs attention

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Correcting to fix typo on number of assisted living units,and details on the taxpayer petition.

James City County supervisors delayed for a month a vote on two adjacent developments that would add more than 1,000 homes on former Eastern State Hospital land, but approved a senior community for 470 units at Fords Village.

At their regular meeting Tuesday, the supervisors also directed county staff to coordinate with neighboring York County on what they might charge for an admissions tax. A majority said they thought the tax should be less than 10%.

The Ford’s Village development would build 470 homes, of which a minimum of 46 would be assisted living units, a number the developer said could rise based on market demand.

Chair John McGlennon and Jamestown Member Jim Icenhour voted against the development, which has been on the drawing board in different variations since 2022.

Vice Chair Ruth Larson, Stonehouse Member Barbara Null and Powhatan Member Tracy Wainwright voted to approve.

Two major projects that would add more than 1,000 homes were delayed until the June 9 board meeting – Cardinal Ridge and Westwood Park. These two developments would be built on surplus Eastern State Hospital land between New Town and Route 199.

Residents of the Mews subdivision and Fords Colony have expressed concern for how the projects would impact traffic and the Powhatan watershed.

During the discussion on the admissions tax, county staff recommended a new admissions tax of 10% be imposed beginning July 1, with the money going to pay down county debt and capital projects.

Several county residents spoke against the tax, saying the supervisors needed to look at the cumulative impact on residents of higher property taxes due to higher home assessments, a proposed 50% meals tax increase and the admissions tax.

Steve Mains, a local resident and business owner, presented the supervisors with a petition he said was signed by more than 500 residents opposing the real estate property tax rate.

But McGlennon framed the admissions and meals taxes as a way to diversify the county’s revenue sources to make it less reliant on property taxes, which generate the majority of county revenue.

County Administrator Scott Stevens said more than 80% of the potential revenue would come from taxing Busch Gardens.

“It’s pretty clear” that the supervisors don’t want the tax to be as high as 10% and want to limit it to Busch Gardens, McGlennon said.

He asked Stevens to coordinate with his York County counterpart, so the two counties chose the same tax rate for Busch Gardens, which is in James City, and Water Country, in York. The two parks have the same ownership and sell joint admissions passes.

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Second suspect arrested in Toano shootout

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Williamsburg Mayor Douglas G. Pons announced Monday he will not be running for re-election, ending a 16-year career with the city council.

“I will not be seeking re-election….I’ve decided to step back a bit,” Pons said at the council’s work session, noting June 16 is the deadline to file a petition to run for re-election.

His departure comes at a time of increasing pushback from a vocal group of taxpayers who have accused the city, particularly its former city manager, of taking on too much debt, growing its spending too rapidly and lack of transparency.

City council member Barbara L. Ramsey thanked Pons for his service, saying “we have been a better council and a better city because of you.”

During Monday’s work session, Interim City Manager Michele Mixner DeWitt outlined potential cuts in the proposed $121.15 million budget that would trim spending by $716,000 and reduce proposed staff expansion from 13 to 7.5 new employees.

She said the cuts were a response to citizen comments about the new budget that goes into effect July 1. She said the city has pushed back its vote on the budget to May 27 to allow more work and public comments on the plan.

Staff also proposed moving $1.5 million in funds that will be left over from the current budget to fund three projects: completion of the African American Heritage Trail, a new HVAC at the Quarterpath Recreation Center and repairs to the Prince George Street parking garage.

The money includes $500,000 William & Mary University paid in February toward a new fire truck because the city provides fire and rescue services to the university. New fire trucks cost range between $1 million for a pumper truck to $2 million for specialized aerial ladder trucks.

Amy Quark, a leader of the Williamsburg chapter of the Navigators USA scouting organization, brought several young members of the group to speak in support of a new building to house Williamsburg Regional Library.

“The library does not meet our community’s current needs,” she said. “There are a lot of problems….we need to approach these problems with a vision for the future.”

Several others also urged City Council to fund a new library, including Randy Casey-Rutland, president of the Friends of Williamsburg Regional Library board, who said that thousands of community members visit the library on a weekly basis. In addition to good schools and a good police and fire department, “the library is an essential part of our community,” he said.

But other speakers expressed worry the library and other projects, including the Greater Williamsburg Sports and Events Center, are generating too much debt that may lead to raising real estate taxes. The tax rate is unchanged in the proposed budget, at 62 cents per $100 in appraised value.

Cole Fairbanks said he fears that Williamsburg is “growing broke,” as he is beginning to notice a gap between “what is a healthy operational financial metric for the City of Williamsburg and what tax payers can reasonably and comfortably afford in terms of the tax burden.”

Robert Wilson agreed that the debts will force the need to raise taxes “considerably in order to make ends meet….We need to take a pause and think of some of the financial implications.”

A spokesman for Davenport and Company, the city’s financial advisor, assured council that the city is remaining within its financial policies and can handle the debt.

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JCC budget debate highlights income inequality among its citizens

Correction — we have changed this story to correct the number of Tracy Wainwright’s children to 4. We apologize for the error.

Arguments over James City County’s spending and tax rates illustrate the growing gap between the county’s highest and lowest income earners, including a large group of senior citizens living on fixed incomes.

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Former Williamsburg City Manager Andrew O. Trivette was still on the city’s payroll as of May 1, more than two months after city council hastily accepted his resignation.

The city pays its employees every other week, and as of the May 1 paycheck, Trivette continued to receive his biweekly base salary of $10,181.80.

Williamsburg Watch received the information from the city in response to a Freedom of Information request.

The payouts don’t match any of the provisions in his employment contract spelling out what payments the city would make if Trivette were fired, resigned or retired.

“As this is a personnel matter, we are precluded from commenting any further,” city spokesperson Nicole Trifone told us. We were unable to reach Trivette over the weekend.

Since the city accepted Trivette’s resignation request Feb. 25, he has received the following payments, according to records the city provided us:

1. March 6: Two weeks’ pay of $10,181.80 plus $461.54 car allowance

2. March 20: $10,181.80 for two weeks’ pay and $60,909 for accrued benefits

3. April 3: Two weeks’ pay for $10,181.80

4. April 17: Two weeks’ pay for $10,181.80

5. May 1: Two weeks’ pay for $10,181.80

City council hastily convened a special meeting on Feb. 25 to accept Trivette’s resignation and appoint assistant city manager Michele Mixner DeWitt as interim city manager.

City officials have declined to provide a reason for Trivette’s departure, citing the personnel exemptions of the Freedom of Information Act.

Under Section 4 of the employment agreement Trivette signed in 2018, the city would be liable for payments if it terminated Trivette without cause. In such a case, he would have been entitled to six months’ base salary in a lump sum without benefits. He would also have been entitled to payment of his health insurance for six months, or until he obtains new insurance or a new job.

If Trivette had resigned without at least 90 days’ advance notice, the city would not be liable for any payments.

If he were terminated for cause, the city would only pay his unused accrued leave time, or apply it as service credit toward his state retirement.

Trivette Employment Agreement (1)

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W-JCC Schools redistricting forums this week

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Friday, May 8

York county has proposed a plan to remain within the Williamsburg Regional Library system, if the other partners agree to keep its contribution at “an affordable cost”, the county’s chair says.

Read full story.

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Thursday, May 7

Williamsburg-James City County’s school board is moving toward its new budget with a $2.3 million dollar question mark still hanging – how much will the state’s final contribution be?

Read full story.

Wednesday, May 6

James City County supervisors seem to have the votes for increasing the meals tax, providing homeowners with a tax credit and lowering the tax rate to 80 cents, based on our nose count at their meeting Tuesday night.

Read full story.

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Tuesday, May 5

Williamsburg-area restaurateurs who say they are still struggling to recover from the Covid pandemic’s economic upheaval now face the impact of increased meals taxes across the area.

Read full story.

Monday, May 4

Williamsburg leads the Historic Triangle governments in spending growth over the past decade, up 83% after inflation despite modest population growth.

Read full story.

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York county has proposed a plan to remain within the Williamsburg Regional Library system, if the other partners agree to keep its contribution at “an affordable cost”, the county’s chair says.

“York County has prepared a revised contract amendment and will now initiate discussion with (Williamsburg, James City County) and the Williamsburg Regional Library,” York Chair Douglas R. Holroyd announced in his newsletter to constituents.

York’s arrangement with the regional library expires at the end of June. The arrangement largely benefits residents of the county’s first district in the northern part of the county, which Holroyd represents.

York supervisors have complained about their rising costs to participate in the regional library. The proposed library budget would raise York’s contribution by 8.34% in the new fiscal year starting July 1 to $964,453 — the lowest share cost among the partners.

That is still less than the $27 million the county has tentatively planned to spend if it built its own library in the district. York operates its own separate library system in addition to participating in the Williamsburg regional library.

The three localities in the regional library system are charged according to residents’ use of the libraries, determined by the number of items they check out.

James City pays the largest share of operating costs -- which is going up to $6.5 for this coming year -- because its residents account for 73% of the items checked out from the library system, according to library figures. Williamsburg and York County residents almost equally divide the balance of use.

Williamsburg’s share is going down in the library’s proposed 2027 budget to $1.1 million.

York supervisors are concerned about rising costs to operate the regional library, and the more than $50 million that its partners plan to spend on two new library buildings.

Under the regional arrangement, each local government bears the cost of constructing new facilities, but share the cost of ongoing operations.

Williamsburg Regional Library’s proposed budget for the year beginning July 1 is up 2.71% to $9.2 million, if the partners agree to pay their requested contribution as part of their own budgeting process.

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530 homes recommended for next phase of Stonehouse subdivision

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By Brandy Centolanza

Williamsburg-James City County’s school board is moving toward its new budget with a $2.3 million dollar question mark still hanging – how much will the state’s final contribution be?

The difference is not insignificant, as Schools CFO Rene Ewing pointed out at the school board’s work session Wednesday evening.

The Virginia General Assembly is still hashing out the next state budget, which by law must begin July 1.

The House version raises the original funding provided by former Gov. Glenn Youngkin by an additional $3.6 million. The Senate’s version provides an additional $1.3 million.

The proposed school budget for the next fiscal year, which begins July 1, is nearly $119 million. James City County, which has the majority of students in the system, is paying the greatest share at $104.5 million. The City of Williamsburg will pay $14.4 million.

School superintendent Daniel Keever told the school board he would like to use any additional funding from the state to cover its “above and beyond” budget requests, which includes $440,000 for extra staff and $320,000 for special education related services.

The extra money would also pay the $225,000 estimated cost of making lacrosse a varsity sport, after an intensive campaign from players and their parents earlier this year asking for support for the sport.

Ewing said the schools should have a little over $2 million left over from the current budget, which will be used to create a health care reserve fund to offset rapidly rising health costs.

Health care costs are expected to increase by 16% this coming year.

Board members also heard a lengthy update on the Elevate ’28 Strategic Plan during the work session.

All capital improvement projects remain on track, Keever said.

Among the work being done is phase I of the HVAC replacement at Matthew Whaley Elementary School; lighting replacement at Berkely Middle School; design work for the Cooley Field turf project; installation of solar panels at Central Office as well as four schools, and construction of Bright Beginnings preschool facilities at Clara Byrd Baker and Norge elementary schools.

Keever said those buildings, are 36% complete and on track to open in fall 2027.

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WATA schedules hearings on route changes

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Correcting to remove erroneous statement there would be a public hearing on county budget May 12.

James City County supervisors seem to have the votes for increasing the meals tax, providing homeowners with a tax credit and lowering the tax rate to 80 cents, based on our nose count at their meeting Tuesday night.

Supervisors were inclined to consider an admissions tax, but want to discuss further how it would be structured to shift the impact more towards visitors who attend Busch Gardens.

There is no admissions tax figured into the new budget that begins July 1. County staff recommended the meals tax increase – to 6% -- be deferred until January.

Supporters of the meals tax said it shifted costs away from home owners and towards visitors who come to the area.

The two Republicans on the board – Stonehouse member Barbara E. Null and Powhatan member Tracy Wainwright – opposed the meals tax increase and pushed considering cutting the budget further to keep tax rates lower.

“We just tax everybody to death. We need to go on an austerity program,” said Null. She said she would rather lower real estate taxes beyond the current proposal rather than provide a one-time tax credit.

Wainwright agreed that the county needed to cut expenses further than the $1.8 million in initial cuts proposed by County Administrator Scott Stevens.

Jamestown member Jim Icenhour said he could support cutting the tax rate to 79 cents per $100 in assessed home value, or settling at 80 cents with one or two cents’ tax credit in the next fiscal year.

James City County’s real estate tax rate is currently set at 83 cents. Stevens’ proposed budget recommends lowering it to 80 cents to offset a double-digit increase in assessments.

County Chair John McGlennon and Vice-Chair Ruth Larson expressed support for a tax credit and an 80-cent real estate tax rate. They said this would effectively spread out, over two years, the increased property taxes homeowners will pay due to higher home values.

Rising property assessments will increase the median homeowner’s taxes by 10.31% if no adjustments are made. Finance staff said reducing the tax rate to 80 cents and providing a one-time tax credit of two cents would lower the effective increase to 4.7%.

The tax credit does not require cutting the county’s operating budget because it would come from the more than $88 million the county has in its reserve fund, Finance Director Sharon McCarthy explained.

To protect its good credit rating, the county has a policy to keep at least 15% of its operating budget in reserve. It has about $10.1 million more than policy requires, McCarthy said, allowing the county to provide the credit.

Tuesday’s meeting was a continuation of the business meeting supervisors held last week to review expenses and discuss tax rates.

McCarthy provided them with several tables showing alternative ways to lower the tax bite on residents. Every penny of real estate tax generates $1.825 million in revenue, and every penny cut would require cutting that much from the budget, which by law must be balanced.

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York supervisors approve $314.7 million budget, increase meals tax

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Editor’s Note: Updating article to correct the last name of WARA executive director Rachel Sears in secondary references. We apologize for the error.

Williamsburg-area restaurateurs who say they are still struggling to recover from the Covid pandemic’s economic upheaval now face the impact of increased meals taxes across the area.

The city of Williamsburg increased its meals tax from 6% to 6.5% at the start of the year. York County is slated to vote today on raising its meals tax by 50%, from 4 to 6 percent. James City is looking to follow York County next week when it approves its 2027 budget, which starts July 1.

Added to the 7% diners already pay for combined state sales and regional tourism marketing taxes, that adds 13% to the cost of a meal before tips.

“Our industry is still in recovery mode,” Rachel Sears, executive director of the Williamsburg Area Restaurant Association, told the James City County’s board of supervisors last week.

Sears said she’s heard from one restaurant owner who said he used to operate at an 18% profit margin before the Covid pandemic disrupted business and inflation kicked up. Now, she said, his margin is 8%.

“The state and the city collect more tax on each guest than the restaurant does in profit,” Sears told us. She said this restaurateur told her 60% of his business comes from local residents.

Patrons who see the markup from taxes may also cut back on tipping, which hurts the restaurant servers who depend on tips for income, Sears said.

Local elected officials say the meals tax in our area is shared with tourists who come here. But Sears, whose group represents more than 100 restaurants, said a majority of regular restaurant patrons are local residents.

The Virginia Restaurant, Lodging and Travel Association released a study of tax impacts across the state earlier this year that showed rising meals taxes have caused consumers to eat out less often and purchase less alcohol.

“Rising labor costs, inflationary pressures, and shifting consumer behavior are already stretching operators thin,” said Eric Terry, president of the VRLTA. “And layered, prohibitive local taxes only compound those challenges—making it harder for restaurants, hotels, and travel-related businesses to achieve sustainable success across the Commonwealth.”

Mary Ellen Power, whose family owns the Fat Canary restaurant on Merchants Square, said more than 19% of independently owned restaurants have gone out of business since Covid.

She said her restaurant is only open five nights a week, instead of all week, because of staffing shortages that began during the pandemic.

“Given that restaurants are still not back to 100%, it is shocking that the city and now the county would choose to increase the meals tax at this time,” Power told us.

Stephen Slivinski, a senior fellow at the libertarian Cato Institute who focuses on state and local government barriers to economic growth, said any sales tax is regressive, hurting those with the lowest income.

Families with lower income spend a larger percentage of their income on purchases, so “any tax increases are going to hit them hardest.”

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Home medical visits part of expanding Sentara program

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Williamsburg leads the Historic Triangle governments in spending growth over the past decade, up 83% after inflation despite modest population growth.

James City and York County’s overall budget growth also outpaced inflation due to capital spending.

Population growth has moderated and is not a major driver of costs, our analysis showed.

Williamsburg Watch used Chat GPT to help us analyze changes in all three government’s adopted budgets between 2016 and the proposed FY 2027 budgets that will be voted on this month.

The counties’ average operating budgets have actually not kept pace with the 37% cumulative inflation projected by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistic’s consumer price index between July of 2016 and March of 2026, the latest available. Williamsburg’s operating budget has grown by 30% in that time.

Capital spending was the primary driver of cost in all three localities, as they ramped up spending to pay for a variety of buildings and projects. Capital spending can fluctuate sharply from year to year based on projects that are in construction, as opposed to operating budgets, which reflect normal operating costs.

If the proposed 2027 budgets are approved as currently drafted, Williamsburg’s spending will have gone up 83% in the past 11 years after inflation, while its population has increased 4%. The city’s costs are primarily driven by a building binge – firehouse, police headquarters, and proposed new library -- as well as higher personnel costs.

The counties tend to spend a larger share of their budgets on schools, as well as personnel.

James City County’s spending over the same time frame is a more modest 31% after inflation, while population has increased 12%, based on projections by the U.S. Census and the Weldon Cooper Center. Its operating expenses have remained flat after accounting for inflation.

York County’s growth was 38% after inflation, but that figure is solely driven by a doubling of capital expenses. The county’s operating expenses have not kept pace with inflation and are down double digits after inflation is factored in.

Schools are a major driver of costs at both James City and York counties and are the largest share of their operating budgets. Williamsburg spends considerably less of its budget on education due to a smaller population.

York is planning to spend millions this year to bring employee compensation closer to what other governments in the area are spending, and that is another major driver of costs.

“We continuously assess when and how to improve services, update our infrastructure, and provide amenities that result in a healthier community,” City spokesperson Nicole Trifone told us. “Budget decisions, therefore, are driven by the evolving needs of our community, rather than by the simple measure of population growth.”

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Arc of Williamsburg’s new home

After 50 years of helping individuals with intellectual disabilities, the Arc of Williamsburg will formally inaugurate its new permanent home this month.

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Friday, May 1

School redistricting, homeless students, phone ban: We cover the W-JCC Superintendent’s town hall with our readers.

Read full story.

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Thursday, April 30

It’s official: Speed zone cameras will be coming to Jamestown High School and Matoaka Elementary School by next school year.

Read full story.

Wednesday, April 29

James City County supervisors seem to be building a consensus toward more tax relief for real estate owners, although they differed on the specifics. And they disagree on raising the meals tax by 50%.

Read full story.

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Tuesday, April 28

More homes are coming on the market in our area, keeping price increases lower even as home sales increase, according to data from state and local Realtors.

Read full story.

Monday, April 27

Springtime is the time for wildlife babies – and it’s the busiest time of year for the dedicated band of local women who rescue abandoned and injured wildlife.

Read full story.

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Williamsburg area parents who want to know how the upcoming redistricting may affect their students were encouraged Wednesday to attend one of three forums coming up this month.

School Superintendent Daniel Keever, speaking at Williamsburg Watch’s Town Hall Wednesday evening, said the meetings will include a look at preliminary redistricting maps.

“Is this a challenging process for a community? Yeah,” Keever said. “It’s always quite emotional.”

Williamsburg-James City County schools launched the redistricting study to plan for the opening of two Bright Beginnings pre-K schools on the campus of Norge and Clara Byrd Baker elementary schools.

The 350 students in those classes currently are housed in the school system’s regular elementary schools and taking three of them – Stonehouse, Matthew Whaley and James River – to capacity or over capacity.

The space freed up by the new Bright Beginnings schools will open more capacity at those schools and an opportunity to shift students.

Keever said a committee including community members, school staff and a school board representative have been meeting weekly to discuss options.

Based on your feedback this month, the group will adjust the plan and take it to the school board for approval in October, Keever said. The new attendance zones would go live in the fall of 2027.

Forum dates:

Tuesday, May 12, at 6:30 p.m. – Lafayette High School
Wednesday, May 13, at 1 p.m. – Williamsburg Regional Library (Scotland St.)
Wednesday, May 13, at 6:30 p.m. – Berkeley Middle School Tuesday, May 12.

Watch readers who attended in person asked the superintendent questions on a variety of issues, including:

Homeless students

Keever said the number of homeless students going to public schools “is more significant than you would anticipate in our community.”

The superintendent said homeless students may have problems with transportation, or getting proper meals, or having a place to clean their clothing.

“Their ability to perform day in and day out and reach the highest levels of academic achievement is starkly different than their peers that don’t have that same scenario,” Keever said.

He said the schools work to provide transportation, food and even clean clothing as required by case.

Smartphones in school

Keever said W-JCC schools successfully implemented a no-phones policy in the 2024 -2025 academic year, following former Gov. Glenn Youngkin’s executive order to ban the devices.

Reactions from both students and parents was mixed, Keever said. While he could not point to specific academic improvements from the policy, he said he believed it is helping students focus and communicate.

He said in public spaces like the cafeteria “students are talking to each other and that’s an upgrade over students at the table on their phones.”

Keever said the staff has also been monitoring how much time students are spending on computer screens at school after concerns rose about excessive screen time. He will report the findings in July.

Civics and democracy

When an audience member who is new to the area asked whether students are being taught civics and American government, Keever said there are civic courses for 5th and 8^th grade students. High school seniors must take a course in Virginia and U.S. government to graduate.

“Our principals and our schools spend time talking about what does citizenship mean?” he said. Keever said students should learn “how do you serve as a member of a community, as a citizen? And talking about the need for appropriate dialogue with one another in collaboration and communication with one another is an essential component of that.”

View full Town Hall here:

James City County will hold on to marina

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It’s official: Speed zone cameras will be coming to Jamestown High School and Matoaka Elementary School by next school year.

“I know our community is not a big fan of them,” James City County Police Chief Mark Jamison told the county supervisors at their business meeting Tuesday. “But I always say if you’re not speeding, you have nothing to worry about.”

Jamison said the speed cameras had reduced speeding by 90% at the seven schools where the cameras were working this school year.

James City partnered with Blue Line Solutions to set up devices to monitor speed using a laser-powered system known as LIDAR. The system triggers cameras to photograph the license plates of vehicles violating the speed limit by at least 10 miles per hour during scheduled school zone hours.

Drivers who are caught speeding have the option to pay a $100 fine and avoid points on their license, or they can take their chances with traffic court and risk both the points and attention from their insurers, who might raise their rates.

Through January, more than 4,000 speeders were ticketed and paid more than $355,000 in fines. Blue Line keeps $15 from every ticket to pay for the system.

But county officials say they don’t see the cameras as a revenue stream.

“It slows you down, which is the point,” Jamison said.

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James City County supervisors seem to be building a consensus toward more tax relief for real estate owners, although they differed on the specifics. And they disagree on raising the meals tax by 50%.

At the supervisors’ business meeting Tuesday, Chair John J. McGlennon said he could support a real estate tax credit this year, while adopting the county administrator’s proposal to lower the tax rate from 83 cents to 80 cents per $100 of assessed value.

He also said the county should look at revising the tax forgiveness programs for senior citizens, which has not been revised in several years.

Stonehouse Member Barbara E. Null said she wanted to cut the real estate tax rate further to 75 cents.

And all the supervisors expressed concern at the wide range of reassessment values experienced by taxpayers who spoke against the budget at their last public hearing April 14. Some landowners got assessments that increased their land value – and taxes – by more than 60%, while other homeowners in the county had single digit increases.

Many of the taxpayers who spoke out April 14 were retirees who said their cost of living increases from Social Security could not keep pace with rising taxes.

Vice Chair Ruth Larson said she empathized with property owners who saw a dramatic jump in value in one year. Larson did not express an opinion on what she thinks the real estate tax rate should be.

“We just have a perfect storm of dramatically increasing house prices and...assessments that are just catching up to house prices,” agreed Powhatan Member Tracy Wainwright, who said she would like to see a 78-cent tax rate.

Jamestown District Member Jim Icenhour said he prefers a tax rate of 79 cents, but would support an 80-cent rate with a two-cent tax credit for the first year, which would reduce the effective rate to 78 cents .

County Administrator Scott Stevens presented a list of county operating expenses that could be trimmed by 10 percent, saving $6 million from the budget, the equivalent of 3 cents on the dollar for the tax rate. The areas he proposed did not include personnel or outside payments including schools, which together comprise 90% of county spending.

On the other side of the ledger, county staff presented the supervisors with several additional taxes they could add on top of the meals tax increase.

Sharon McCarthy, director of financial and management services, said the legislature had approved a law that would allow local governments to add 1% to the sales tax to pay for school construction. That would bring in $5 million next year and allow the county to avoid borrowing $44 million for projects slated for the Williamsburg-James City County schools over the next five years, she said.

The county would need to put that tax to a referendum.

The county can also bring in from $1 million to $10 million a year from an admissions tax on Busch Gardens and other events, McCarthy said. She said the proposed increase in meals taxes, to 6%, would be less than neighboring Williamsburg’s 6.5%.

Economic experts generally agree that sales and meals taxes are a regressive form of taxation that disproportionately impact lower income households, because they spend most of their income on daily life.

Null said she opposed raising the meals tax, saying “people are taxed enough already,.. we just keep putting these little things in and they add up to a lot.”

Wainwright also opposed adding a meals tax, saying that when combined with sales tax and the local tourism promotion tax the total tab on a meal out was 13%.

She said she had heard from local small restaurants that their customers said they would have to cut dining out if the tax goes up. When her family of six goes out to dine, Wainwright added, the taxes mean “we are paying for a seventh meal…it’s a significant hit.”

In the end, the supervisors agreed to keep the meeting open and reconvene May 5 to consider options before voting on a budget the following week

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Don’t miss tonight’s town hall with W-JCC Schools Superintendent Daniel Keever

Williamsburg Watch will livestream the town hall Wednesday night from 7-8 pm on this page and the Substack App.

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More homes are coming on the market in our area, keeping price increases lower even as home sales increase, according to data from state and local Realtors.

But increasing interest rates may soften demand going forward, the chief economist of the Virginia Association of Realtors warned.

James City County saw the biggest jump in home sales last month – up 24.8 percent – while the median sales price remained flat at $475,000 compared to March a year ago, the Virginia Association of Realtors reported.

Liz Moore, owner of Liz Moore and Associates, told us active listings in the area are up 31% over a year ago, “a pretty big jump.”

“It’s definitely a good thing for buyers, who have more choices, and more bargaining power, than they did a year ago,” Moore said. “New listings coming on the market are outpacing sales... which is what is causing the inventory buildup.”

York County sales were up 21.9% in March from the previous year, the Realtors data showed, and prices were up only 1.6%.

Williamsburg sales were down 55% in March and prices jumped 44.8%, but those are based on a much smaller base, so they tend to fluctuate dramatically from month to month.

For the first three months of this year, James City County had the largest increase in home sales, up 19% from the first quarter of 2025. The county’s median home sales price increased 7.3% in that time.

York County sales increased 4.3% and median sales prices for the quarter dipped 2.3%.

Williamsburg’s home sales in the first three months of this year dropped by 5.7% from the prior year, and the median sales prices dipped slightly by 1.6%.

“We have over three months of inventory, which is getting close to a balanced market,” Moore said. “It used to be that six months was considered a balanced market, but I believe that four to five months means that buyers and sellers have equal leverage.”

Ryan Price, chief economist for the Virginia Realtors group, said more homes for sale, combined with lower price growth and steady buyer interest, stimulated home sales this spring.

But he cautioned the fallout of the Iranian war has pushed up mortgage rates and created swings in the bond market.

“How high mortgage rates climb will play a major role in determining whether the spring market maintains its pace or slows,” Price said.

The hard work of saving birds

Every spring, Julie Wobig and her helpers care for 50-60 baby birds, taking turns feeding them every 20 minutes -- from sunrise to sunset.

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Editor’s note: updating to fix misspelling of raccoon.

Springtime is the time for wildlife babies – and it’s the busiest time of year for the dedicated band of local women who rescue abandoned and injured wildlife.

“I don’t know how to say no,” to an animal in need, said Becky Harlow, who runs a wildlife rescue service in Shackelfords with the whimsical name of Max’s Suga Shack Wildlife Rehabilitation.

Harlow rescues baby opossums and raccoons from West Point to James City and York counties and releases them to the wild when they are ready. She named her operation for Max and Sugar, the first raccoon and possum she rescued.

She was bottle feeding 18 infant possums and four infant raccoons when we visited recently.

In Croaker, bird rescuer Julie Wobig was taking in a boxload of baby ducks whose mother had been run over by a careless driver in Hampton. They would go into an extensive collection of baby birds she is currently feeding with help from several volunteers.

“I never wanted to rehab,” we were told by Wobig, whose Tidewater Wildlife Rescue is the only facility with the federal permit to rescue birds between Chesapeake and Richmond. “I’m only doing it because it needs doing.”

The baby raccoons Harlow was caring for were brought in by a tree cutting service in Urbana who found them hiding among trees he had cleared. The possums were rescued after a driver ran over their mother and some siblings.

“It’s gut wrenching” to see animals in need, Harlow said.

As we spoke, she carefully picked up each baby possum and used a syringe to feed them, then stimulated them to urinate.

The baby raccoons were able to drink from a bottle.

When they are weaned, they will go into outside cages where she will observe if they are developing normally and able to fend for themselves before releasing them. She follows the same process for injured raccEdioons and possums she rehabilitates.

The work both women do is seven days a week, demanding and exhausting. They must scrupulously follow state and federal regulations. And no one pays them for the work they do.

Harlow had to undergo two years of sponsorship from other wildlife rescuers – she says they are almost all women – before she could get a permit three years ago from the Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources.

“Virginia makes it very hard to get permitted,” she said.

Because she lacks a federal permit, Harlow said she takes any birds she rescues to Wobig.

Harlow depends on donations to pay for the expensive feed, housing and incubators needed in her setup.

York County’s board of supervisors recently approved a $500 grant to help her work. Lofty Dreams Farm in Toano donates fresh produce. Harlow said Veterinarian L.M. Averitt, owner of the Toano Animal Clinic, volunteers her help.

Other people have donated money and supplies, including cages and storage sheds where she can work.

The Shuga Shack is a federally recognized nonprofit, and donations are tax-deductible.

Tomorrow, we’ll talk about how you can help wild birds in distress.

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Meet the School Superintendent

If you can’t get a free ticket at our link, Williamsburg Watch will be livestreaming our Town Hall with W-JCC School Superintendent Daniel Keever Wednesday evening. The event takes place April 29 from 7-8 p.m. at the Williamsburg Regional Library downtown.

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Friday, April 24:

William & Mary’s Board of Visitors voted to raise tuition and fees by 8.7% for in-state undergraduate students over the next two academic years.

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Thursday, April 23:

A mother of three who worked briefly as an assistant cheerleading coach at Jamestown High School was sentenced this week to 80 years in jail for sexting a 14-year-old boy, with most of the time suspended.

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Meet the School Superintendent

We still have a few tickets left to our Town Hall with Williamsburg-James City County School Superintendent Daniel Keever next week. A small group of guests will have an hour to interact with our superintendent and ask questions on any educational topic you choose. The event takes place April 29 from 7-8 p.m. at the Williamsburg Regional Library downtown. To claim your free ticket, click this link.

Wednesday, April 22:

Williamsburg and James City County voted in favor of a constitutional amendment to give the legislature the right to redraw the congressional map, final vote tallies from the Virginia Department of Elections show.

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Tuesday, April 21:

Only a handful of taxpayers showed up Tuesday night at public hearings on York County’s proposed $314.7 million budget, along with proposed tax increases and sewer and garbage rate hikes.

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Monday, April 20:

Jack Haldeman worries about the cumulative impact of James City County’s growth, and the gap between what its citizens say they want and what is happening.

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