Photo: WINA CHARLOTTESVILLE (WINA) – County Executive Jeff Richardson is proposing a 2022 fiscal budget of just over $466-million, more than 17% more than the current year… and it’s happening without any property tax increases. Presenting the plan in a Wednesday Zoom meeting to Albemarle supervisors, Richardson says “the economic environment that pertains to this budget is stabilizing, but not yet stable, with a modest performance outlook through FY 22 which starts July 1 of this year through June 30, 2022. This year, Albemarle County is running on a $396-million budget that took a big cut last year as we entered the pandemic. Richardson says he and staff have kept in mind what supervisors have been asking throughout the pandemic… let’s be careful when we’re cautious and not stop everything. He says that’s reflected by a fiscal 2022 expenditure of $25-million toward the courts rebuild, which he calls “the largest single expenditure a county makes in a generation”. He says they’re also continuing to appropriate toward transit and economic development, especially using public-private partnerships where dollars are leveraged for county benefit. School space needs will be financed with an expansion of Mountain View Elementary along with ongoing projects at Crozet, Red Hill, and Scottsville Elementaries. Money is also appropriated for the opening of the first phase of Biscuit Run, as well as greenways and blueways in key locations.