County Executive Presents Proposed Fiscal Year 2027 Budget Focused on Community Investment and Strategic Goals

Prince William County Executive Christopher Shorter presented the Proposed Fiscal Year (FY) 2027 Budget to the Board of County Supervisors during their 7 p.m. meeting on Tuesday, Feb. 17, 2026. 

The FY2027 Proposed Budget is structurally balanced, aligned with the Strategic Plan goals, and grounded in the county’s Principles of Sound Financial Management. It sustains the county’s long-standing tradition of disciplined financial stewardship — one that continues to be affirmed through the county’s triple, AAA bond ratings. 

“This proposed budget is more than a financial document. It is a statement of our values and a direct investment in the priorities our community identified through the Strategic Plan,” said Shorter. “It reflects what residents told us matters most: strong schools, safe neighborhoods, environmental stewardship, responsive government, smart growth and a high quality of life. And it demonstrates our shared commitment to fiscal responsibility, affordability for residents, and continued investment in the people, services and infrastructure that support a growing and diverse community.” 

The FY2027 Proposed Budget focuses on strategic priorities that strengthen services and community impact. Highlights include: 

• Education – Includes a $1.1 billion transfer to Prince William County Schools, a 12.8 percent increase over FY2026, maintaining the County–Schools Revenue Sharing Agreement, which allocates 57.23 percent of general revenues to education. As in previous years, the largest portion of the proposed budget is dedicated to schools.
• Environment – Funds watershed restoration, solid waste infrastructure, and two positions in the Office of Environmental Sustainability to help meet the county’s Community Energy and Sustainability Master Plan.
• Government – Funds amended Police and Fire & Rescue Collective Bargaining Agreements; a market adjustment for sworn personnel in the Adult Detention Center and Sheriff’s Office; a 3 percent step/merit adjustment for eligible county employees; and begins a two-year implementation of the General Services Classification & Compensation Study.
• Mobility – Increases OmniRide local subsidy and fully funds their request at $29.9 million. Also provides funding for the Transportation Improvement Program for small-scale magisterial district projects.
• Quality of Life & Smart Growth - Includes $5 million contribution to the Affordable Housing reserve fund to support further implementation of affordable housing initiatives in the community. The total contributions to the Affordable Housing reserve will increase to a $21 million investment from FY24-27. Also increases Parks & Recreation capital investment by $20 million to improve existing parks with amenities such as field lights, permanent restroom facilities, playgrounds, and picnic/pavilion areas while also developing new parks and trail segments.
• Safe and Secure Community – Allocates $4 million annually to renovate Fire & Rescue stations and $12 million annually to replace emergency response vehicles and apparatus, ensuring safety, reliability and operational readiness. Also funds 86 positions devoted to a safe and secure community, with positions in Fire, Police, Sheriff and Commonwealth’s Attorney.
• Service Delivery – Invests $5.4 million annually in technology infrastructure upgrades, including cybersecurity, cloud systems and core IT replacements to improve speed, reliability and accessibility of services.
• Capital Improvement Program (CIP) – Proposes a six-year, $1.56 billion investment plan for facilities, infrastructure, public safety, parks and environmental projects, with $149 million in FY2027 alone for projects ranging from parks, IT and roadway improvements to major facility capital maintenance and development. 

The proposed budget is funded at a flat real estate tax rate of $0.906 per $100 of assessed value.  Based on projected real estate appreciation, the average residential tax bill is estimated to increase by approximately $181, or 3.5 percent. The fire levy rate is proposed to decrease to $0.070, resulting in an average residential levy increase of about $3, while the mosquito and forest pest management levy is proposed to decrease to $0.0020, lowering the average bill by approximately $2.  

The Board will discuss advertised tax rates and fees at future meetings and may adopt rates lower than those advertised, but cannot adopt rates higher than the advertised amounts. 

Community engagement remains a key part of the budget process. Residents are encouraged to participate through public meetings, public hearings and online engagement tools, like the Budget Q&A tool, as the county moves toward budget adoption this spring. The budget engagement process will begin with a virtual community meeting at 9 a.m. on Saturday, Feb. 21, where county staff will provide an overview of the proposed budget and answer questions. 

The full budget calendar and Budget Q&A tool can be found on the county’s website at pwcva.gov/budget.