Accomack County employees to get a larger raise than expected

Accomack County officials say they have a plan to address two unexpected budget challenges while avoiding service cuts and ensuring employees are treated equally.

When the County adopted its fiscal year 2027 budget, it assumed state-supported local employees would receive a 2 percent pay raise, matching the increase approved for County employees.

But after updated state revenue forecasts and a budget agreement in Richmond, the General Assembly approved a larger, 3.5 percent salary increase for state employees and state-supported local employees. County leaders say they now want to extend that same 3.5 percent raise to all County employees, effective August first, to maintain fairness across the workforce.

At the same time, the new state budget includes changes to funding under the Comprehensive Services Act, or CSA. A new reimbursement cap shifts more of the cost for certain mandated services from the Commonwealth to local governments, creating an unexpected increase in the County’s required local match.

Combined, those two issues leave the County with an estimated $318,000 budget gap for fiscal year 2027.

County staff say they’ve identified a way to cover the additional costs without reducing services. The plan relies on about $179,000 in higher-than-projected recurring revenue, $83,000 in savings from delays to the former library renovation project, and another $56,000 in returned agency funding after grant money reduced the agency’s local funding needs.