Colonial Heights keeps $1.20 tax rate in focus as budget week continues

Colonial Heights is in the middle of a key budget week, and the biggest immediate question for homeowners is not whether the real estate tax rate is going up. The city’s April 21 special meeting materials say Colonial Heights is not proposing to raise the current $1.20 per $100 of assessed value rate.

That does not mean every tax bill will stay flat.

The city’s notice of proposed real property tax increase explains why reassessment can still push a bill higher even when the rate does not change. If a home’s assessed value rises, the tax owed can rise with it. That is the distinction residents need to watch: the rate and the bill are not the same thing.

City Council reviewed the tax situation at its April 21 special meeting, along with budget-related material tied to the city’s FY2027-2031 capital improvement plan. The capital plan matters because it is where long-term spending questions usually show up first — things like infrastructure, buildings, and other major projects that do not fit neatly into a one-year operating budget.

The budget calendar is not finished yet. The next public step now on the clock is the April 28 hearing on Ordinance No. 26-FIN-5, the school-budget appropriation ordinance.

For parents and school watchers, that hearing is the most immediate date to track. For residents watching roads, facilities, and long-range city spending, the capital improvement plan discussion offers an early look at what Colonial Heights is weighing before final budget action.

The city’s meeting calendar and related documents show that these items are part of a continuing decision window, not a final adopted budget. That means the public still has a chance to follow the remaining hearings and see how the city balances school funding, capital needs, and the tax base.

For homeowners, the practical takeaway is straightforward: a stable tax rate does not automatically mean a stable bill if assessed values move up. For everyone else, the April 28 hearing is the next checkpoint in a budget process that will shape school spending and help set the tone for the rest of Colonial Heights’ fiscal year planning.

Sources

• Colonial Heights City Council April 21 special meeting agenda
• Colonial Heights notice of proposed real property tax increase
• Colonial Heights agenda item summary for FY2027-2031 CIP discussion
• Colonial Heights public notice for Ordinance No. 26-FIN-5
• Colonial Heights Resolution No. 26-11 capital improvement plan document
• Colonial Heights city manager report and meeting calendar