Renegotiating regional library agreement: James City, York and Williamsburg
Good morning! Also in today's edition -- James City County slashes school raise request...get set for a ton of numbers and percentages as we dive into the county's new budget.
York and James City Counties both want to renegotiate the 12-year old contract governing the operation of the Williamsburg Regional Library, and it looks like they want a larger voice on the library board and a harder look at how much they pay.
Library Director Sandy Towers said the contract, which outlines how the two counties and the city of Williamsburg fund and operate the library system, is overdue for a look given population growth over the years.
“I do believe that all three jurisdictions realize the benefits and the advantages that all of their citizens enjoy because of the regional library system,” Towers said.
During a recent meeting of the York County board of supervisors, county officials made clear they wanted to remain in the library and do not want a repeat of the contentious negotiations taking place between Williamsburg and James City County over their shared school system. York operates its own school system.
James City County, which pays the largest contribution to the library, wants to get the school agreement wrapped up first, Administrator Scott Stevens told us.
Stevens said he believes the formula for funding the library and the number of representatives each jurisdiction has on the library board will be the main points of the negotiation.
For York County, “the overarching goal would be to slow or reduce our operating contribution, (have) similar privileges to Williamsburg and James City County, and increase representation on the (library) board,” County Adminitrator Mark Bellamy said.
Under the current agreement, each jurisdiction pays a share of operating costs proportional to how much residents check out from the library. The state also provides a small amount of funding. Each locality is responsible for constructing library buildings within its borders.
But York only pays 80% of its full share of operating costs because it has its own libraries and can risk its state funding if it is a full partner, Towers explained. York residents have fewer checkout privileges at the regional libraries as a result of that adjustment, she said.
James City County pays the largest share of operating costs because its residents account for nearly three-quarters of items checked out, according to the county’s budget.
Williamsburg and York County residents almost equally divide the balance of use.
Both Williamsburg and James City County are planning to build new library buildings to accommodate population growth. Towers said state funding requires one square foot of library space for every resident, and the region’s population growth has outstripped that measure.
The new agreement will be hashed out by the managers of each locality, Towers said.
James City County slashes school raise, real estate tax credit in budget
James City County released its $262.7 million general fund budget Friday, calling for a 2.9 percent spending increase and an end to the 5-cent real estate tax credit that eased the impact of double digit increases in real estate values.
The county slashed three quarters off the increase requested by local schools, whose enrollment has been flat for several years. It is offering to increase school funding by 2.9 percent, instead of the nearly 13 percent sought by the schools.
In all, James City County proposes to spend $389.5 million in the 2026 fiscal year that begins in July. Of that amount, nearly two thirds is for the general fund budget that pays for regular expenses, and most of the balance goes to the capital projects construction fund.
Most of the students in the Williamsburg-James City County school system come from the county, which pays 53 percent of the schools’ total funding. The state pays another 40 percent, and the city of Williamsburg pays 6.2 percent.
County Administrator Scott Stevens said the county’s “pretty tight” budget does not include raising any tax rates or fees.
The growth in revenue comes from the elimination of the real estate tax credit and the growth of value in automobiles subject to property taxes, according to our analysis.
Here are some highlights:
Property taxes pay for 72 percent of the county’s operating budget, and real estate taxes account for two thirds of those taxesat revenue.
County employees get a 3% pay raise.
Payments to local schools of $113 million represent 43% of the county’s overall spending in the general fund.
Taxpayers will have several opportunities to get details on the budget and comment on it. All the meetings are scheduled for the James City County Government Center, 101 Mounts Bay Road, Building F.
There will be a town hall Tuesday, April 1, 2025, at 6:00 p.m.
A public hearing is scheduled during the board of supervisors meeting Tuesday, April 8, 2025, at 5:00 p.m.
The budget will be reviewed again on Tuesday, April 22, 2025, at 1:00 p.m. at the superviors’ business meeting
Supervisors will vote on the final budget Tuesday, May 13, 2025, at 5:00 p.m.
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