This year’s budget process in Lynchburg made one thing crystal clear: words are cheap, votes are forever.
For all the talk from self-proclaimed conservatives on this city council, let the record show what actually happened. When push came to shove, they voted to raise your taxes by $6.75 million. We (Stephanie Reed, Chris Faraldi, Sterling Wilder — the lone Democrat) didn’t.
Regardless of the spin you’ve heard over the past few years from Lynchburg — and setting aside the motives or even intentions of those involved — here’s the bottom line: this vote is a 10% tax increase, totaling $6.75 million, passed by Republicans. The very same politicians who spent months lecturing, grandstanding and campaigning on lower taxes just turned around and voted to raise them.
On a 4–3 vote, at the eleventh hour, city council adopted a $0.84 real estate tax rate, an increase from the equalized rate of $0.767. That is a direct, measurable hike on Lynchburg homeowners — plain and simple. While others twisted themselves into knots to defend it, just six days after saying $0.84 is the largest real estate tax increase in the last decade, we stood firm.
In my nearly six years serving the city, I’ve voted against every single tax increase. This vote was no different.
Some will say, “It’s not really a tax hike.” That’s just not true. It’s more money out of your pocket — especially for families, seniors on fixed incomes and the working class.
Others will try to excuse it by saying, “Well, this was the only real estate rate that could get four votes.” But that’s narrow-minded. There were multiple responsible plans on the table — plans that cut taxes by lowering the car tax rate or offsetting real estate with modest adjustments to lodging taxes.
Let’s be clear: city council could have balanced the budget with an equalized real estate rate by asking out-of-town visitors to pay a little more, a tariff, if you will. But they shot that down, too.
Instead, four self-proclaimed Republicans voted for the largest real estate tax increase in Lynchburg in over a decade. By the votes, it’s obvious that they chose to tax residents before visitors, compromising on their values. Again, they can say anything they want to try and defend it. I’ll let the votes speak for themselves.
And the only defense these “leaders” have put forward for passing this increase is to blame city staff for their inability to govern. Rather than taking ownership for their actions, my colleagues are putting the blame on staff in city hall. That is not leadership, and it is not the kind of governance Lynchburg voters deserve.
But here’s the other half of the story, and it matters. Because while we stood ground against higher taxes, we also fought tooth and nail for a budget that delivers real results.
The budget secured:
- $2.7 million for teacher raises
- Step pay increases for firefighters and police
- $60 million for school infrastructure
- Elimination of junk fees like the $35 car decal and $10/month trash tax
- No cuts to the library, Templeton Center, Jackson Arts Center or services for vulnerable families
- And we cut nearly $3 million in city spending to do it
This budget is balanced, both fiscally and by honoring our campaign promises. It invests in the people who make Lynchburg government work — our teachers, public safety professionals and schools.
Let’s be honest: tough choices had to be made. I don’t dispute that. Some city staff positions were cut — but those employees have first dibs at other roles and significant severance support is in place. That’s the kind of responsible governance our residents expect and deserve.
This is not the budget I would have written alone. But when it came down to the line in the sand — standing with working people or raising taxes on them — we chose to fight for those who show up, property owners and everyday folks who keep this city running.
We stood with teachers, first responders and the parents who called for us to finally fix our schools, while the others — the same politicians who increased our property taxes by 10% — turned their backs on every single campaign promise they made. They voted against school infrastructure improvements, parents, cops, teachers and firefighters by opposing it all.
Words are cheap, votes are forever.
And next year, when Lynchburg voters head to the ballot box, I hope they’ll remember who voted to keep their promises — and who didn’t.
Chris Faraldi is a member of Lynchburg City Council, representing Ward 4. He is a Republican.
