LYNCHBURG, Va. – Lynchburg’s city budget for fiscal year 2026 is officially in place, totaling more than $200 million. But while the vote is in, the work isn’t over. City council prioritized education, public safety, and infrastructure. But some questions still remain.
Although the adopted budget doesn’t raise Lynchburg’s car or real estate tax rates, homeowners could still end up paying more due to a more than 10% increase in property values. Questions also remain about how the city plans to maintain services like the Templeton Senior Center, the Jackson Heights Art Center, and the downtown library, all of which appeared to be at risk earlier in the process, sparking public concern.
“There’s a question over whether or not we have a balanced budget. The truth is we do,” said Lynchburg Councilmember Chris Faraldi. “The question is where the dollars go within it. And we’ve made it clear we’re not going to close the Templeton Center, the Jackson Arts Center, or the downtown library. We’re going to find other items that are not people or front-facing services to balance that out. We don’t want to cut more staff.”
In a statement to 10 News, Councilmember Marty Misjuns called the budget process a “failure,” citing delays, last-minute decisions, and confusion among city staff and leadership.
Faraldi acknowledged the tension.
“What you’re seeing is a fight back and forth between two ways of approaching government,” he said.
During the final meeting, all three of Faraldi’s budget proposals, including one to eliminate the car tax, failed to pass, but he says he’s ready to move his focus forward, at least for now.
“I proposed a plan that removed the car tax entirely. Ultimately, it failed. I don’t intend to bring back the car tax solution anytime soon,” he said.
Still, Faraldi emphasized the final budget includes key wins for the community.
“We have a budget and we’ve done our duty,” he said. “There are some winners, some losers, but at the end of the day our teachers are seeing an increase in their compensation. Public safety is getting their step increase. And most important for me, was making sure we got $60 million to improve school infrastructure.”
City staff is expected to revisit unresolved funding issues in August, specifically to determine where cuts will be made within the parameters already set.