CHARLOTTESVILLE, VA (CVILLE RIGHT NOW) – Albemarle County residents could be in for a significant increase in their personal property tax rate, but the county’s real estate tax will go unchanged.

The county’s Board of Supervisors voted on those items Wednesday, passing an advertised a 15-cent raise in the personal property tax rate, up to $4.42 per $100 of assessed value. This comes after County Executive Jeff Richardson’s Feb. 25 recommendation the rate not be raised this year.

State code requires Virginia’s cities and counties to advertise tax rates before a vote is taken. Rates can be lowered, but they cannot be raised over the advertised levels.

The rise will go to support the Affordable Housing Investment Fund.

“The bottom line is, we’re advertising a tax rate that increases the personal property tax 15 cents over what the county executive recommended,” said Chair Ned Gallaway. “The rationale behind it was to dedicate that total increase to our Affordable Housing Investment Fund. And again, this is all for advertisement, but it does change what the county executive has done and recommended.”

The decision sets the maximum tax rate the supervisors can adopt when it sets the rate next month.

The Supervisors voted to leave the advertised real estate tax rate at the current rate of $0.894 cents per $100 of assessed value during Wednesday’s regular meeting.

In Albemarle County, personal property tax is levied on movable assets such as vehicles, boats, and machinery and due on June 25 and Dec 5. A mobile home classified as personal property is taxed at the current real estate tax rate of 0.894% of assessed value for calendar year 2025. Additionally, a yearly license fee is automatically added to the June 25th tax bill for vehicles or trailers registered within the county.

Among the organizations that will benefit are Habitat for Humanity of Greater Charlottesville and the Piedmont Housing Alliance.

“What supervisors have said has kind of committed them to that raise and for the purpose, [but] even they can change their minds by the time we take a vote on the final budget,” said Gallaway. “This is a living, moving budget, and we have town halls coming up. So, whether or not we make changes, but especially when we make changes over the county executive’s recommendation, the board wants to hear from citizens and residents. So, they should come out to our town halls. They should send us emails.”

Between Thursday and April 2, there will be six community budget town hall events.